Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

net: macb: fix dma_alloc_coherent() leak on macb_alloc() error paths

Fix 3 leaks in macb_alloc() error paths:
- Tx buffer allocated but crossing a 4G boundary: Tx leaked.
- Rx buffer allocation fails: Tx leaked.
- Rx buffer allocated but crossing a 4G boundary: Tx & Rx leaked.

This is because our error handling calls macb_free(bp) which in turn
frees the buffers stored in bp->queues[0], but nothing has been stored
in there. Fix by storing allocated buffers into bp->queues[0] ASAP.
Published: 2026-10-18
Score: 1.9 Low
EPSS: < 1% Very Low
KEV: No
Impact: Denial of Service via resource exhaustion
Action: Apply Patch
AI Analysis

Impact

The Linux kernel network driver for the MACB Ethernet controller contains a flaw that causes dma_alloc_coherent() buffers to leak when macb_alloc() encounters error conditions. Unreleased transmit and receive DMA buffers accumulate, potentially exhausting kernel memory and leading to a system that becomes unresponsive.

Affected Systems

All Linux kernel releases that include the macb driver are affected. The driver is part of the Linux kernel tree and is used on systems with the MACB Ethernet controller. No specific version ranges or vendor release dates are given.

Risk and Exploitability

The CVSS score of 1.9 indicates a low severity. The EPSS score of <1% shows an extremely low likelihood of exploitation, and the vulnerability is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog. The attack vector is inferred to be local or through crafted network packets that force the driver into a failure path, as the description references error conditions in buffer allocation.

Generated by OpenCVE AI on October 23, 2026 at 07:22 UTC.

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record.

OpenCVE Recommended Actions

  • Update the Linux kernel to a version that includes the macb driver patch referenced by the provided commit hashes
  • If a full kernel update is not possible, disable or remove the MACB network interface so the vulnerable driver is not loaded
  • After applying a patch, monitor system memory usage and DMA buffer allocation to confirm the leak has been resolved

Generated by OpenCVE AI on October 23, 2026 at 07:22 UTC.

Tracking

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Advisories

No advisories yet.

History

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 00:45:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-401

Wed, 21 Oct 2026 00:30:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-772
References
Metrics threat_severity

None

 cvssV3_1

{'score': 1.9, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L'}

threat_severity

Low

Sun, 18 Oct 2026 18:00:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-401

Sun, 18 Oct 2026 15:30:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: macb: fix dma_alloc_coherent() leak on macb_alloc() error paths Fix 3 leaks in macb_alloc() error paths: - Tx buffer allocated but crossing a 4G boundary: Tx leaked. - Rx buffer allocation fails: Tx leaked. - Rx buffer allocated but crossing a 4G boundary: Tx & Rx leaked. This is because our error handling calls macb_free(bp) which in turn frees the buffers stored in bp->queues[0], but nothing has been stored in there. Fix by storing allocated buffers into bp->queues[0] ASAP.
Title net: macb: fix dma_alloc_coherent() leak on macb_alloc() error paths
First Time appeared Linux
Linux linux Kernel
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Linux
Linux linux Kernel
References

Subscriptions

Linux Linux Kernel
cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: Linux

Published:

Updated: 2026-10-19T09:20:29.361Z

Reserved: 2026-09-25T10:25:14.353Z

Link: CVE-2026-98492

cve-icon Vulnrichment

No data.

cve-icon NVD

Status : Received

Published: 2026-10-18T16:17:00.150

Modified: 2026-10-19T10:19:01.310

Link: CVE-2026-98492

cve-icon Redhat

Severity : Low

Publid Date: 2026-10-18T00:00:00Z

Links: CVE-2026-98492 - Bugzilla

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

Updated: 2026-10-23T07:30:09Z

Weaknesses
  • CWE-772

    Missing Release of Resource after Effective Lifetime