CVE-2026-98797

net: cap skb->queue_mapping when the tx queue is picked

Published Oct 18, 2026 CVSS 3.1 · 5.5 Medium EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

net: cap skb->queue_mapping when the tx queue is picked

skbedit can set skb->queue_mapping and raise the per-CPU skip_txqueue
flag so __dev_queue_xmit() honours the mapping. __dev_queue_xmit()
cleared the flag before sch_handle_egress() and only read it afterwards,
so the flag was not confined to the xmit that set it: a nested xmit
(mirred redirect or mirror, or a drop after skbedit) could set the flag
and the outer xmit would consume it for an skb that never went through
skbedit.

A forwarded packet still carries the ingress NIC's rx_queue + 1 in
skb->queue_mapping, so the outer device then indexes its tx queue state
with that stale value. Taprio's child array q->qdiscs[] is sized to the
device's queue count, so taprio_enqueue() indexes past its allocation
and dereferences the result as a struct Qdisc *.

We (ab)use the skb->nf_skip_egress which means "skip netfilter egress
for this packet" to tag to "am I in tc egress?". Despite the overload
I dont see it as a conflict since the marker is set only around the
single sch_handle_egress() call and ingress path is guarded by
tc_at_ingress.
I will send a followup(net-next) patch once this hits net-next to
rename the skb->nf_skip_egress bit/flag to skb->skip_egress

Arm the flag only from the egress classifier that can use it: raise
skip_txqueue from tcf_skbedit_act() only when it runs inside
sch_handle_egress(), thanks to skb->nf_skip_egress. An egress qdisc
classifier runs in q->enqueue(), after the tx queue has been picked,
so a mapping it sets cannot affect the current packet; arming the flag
there only pollutes it for a later xmit. Then own the flag for the xmit
frame the egress hook runs in: save the incoming value and clear it just
before sch_handle_egress(), and restore it after the hook - on the
consumed (drop) path, or, in the same call that reads it, on the
surviving path. The save and the restores stay inside the
egress_needed_key static branch, so a packet pays for them only when
egress hooks are active (2f1e85b1aee4).

Store the value netdev_cap_txqueue() selected back into skb->queue_mapping
in netdev_tx_queue_mapping(), as netdev_core_pick_tx() already does, so
the skip_txqueue path never hands a later reader on the xmit path a
mapping the device cannot serve. A store made still later in the same
frame, by a tc BPF program attached to a transmit qdisc, is outside this
path and is not re-capped; a separate followup will resolve that path.

netdev_xmit_skip_txqueue() returns the previous flag value so the
save-and-clear is one call, and a no-op stub is provided when
CONFIG_NET_EGRESS is disabled. skb->nf_skip_egress is compiled under
CONFIG_NET_EGRESS rather than CONFIG_NETFILTER_SKIP_EGRESS, so
skb_at_tc_egress() is valid whenever the egress path is built.

A local user in a network namespace can redirect a packet from a device
with more TX queues to one with fewer after setting a mapping valid only
on the larger device. That reaches these reads and, under KASAN, faults
with "slab-out-of-bounds in taprio_enqueue".

Conditions to recreate the bug: the report's own trigger is a local user
with CAP_NET_ADMIN in a network namespace, so no eBPF program is needed.
With CONFIG_NET_SCH_TAPRIO=y, CONFIG_NET_ACT_SKBEDIT=y,
CONFIG_NET_ACT_MIRRED=y, CONFIG_NET_CLS_MATCHALL=y,
CONFIG_NET_SCH_PRIO=y and KASAN enabled, create qa (3 queues), qb
(2 queues) and qc (1 queue) as dummy devices; put a taprio root on qb
(num_tc 1, queues 2@0) and clsact on all three; then add an egress
matchall filter on every device. On qa: "action skbedit queue_mapping 2
pipe action mirred egress redirect dev qb". On qb: "action mirred egress
mirror dev qc". On qc: "action skbedit queue_mapping 0 pipe". Send one
packet out qa. qc's skbedit sets the flag while qb's outer xmit is in
flight; without the fix qb consumes it and reads its two-entry taprio
child array with the forwarded packet's stale mapping. A qc whose
skb
---truncated---

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record

Tracking

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Advisories

Source ID Title
Debian DLA Debian DLA DLA-4850-1 linux-6.12 security update
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9018-1 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9018-2 Linux kernel (HWE) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9019-1 Linux kernel (Azure) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9020-1 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9022-1 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9023-1 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9024-1 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9025-1 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9026-1 Linux kernel (Azure) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9039-1 Linux kernel (Azure CVM) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9040-1 Linux kernel (Low Latency NVIDIA) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9066-1 Linux kernel (HWE) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9091-1 Linux kernel (NVIDIA Tegra) vulnerabilities
History
Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-129
Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-125
References
Metrics threat_severity

None

cvssV3_1

{'score': 5.5, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'}

threat_severity

Moderate

Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-129
Type Values Removed Values Added
Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: cap skb->queue_mapping when the tx queue is picked skbedit can set skb->queue_mapping and raise the per-CPU skip_txqueue flag so __dev_queue_xmit() honours the mapping. __dev_queue_xmit() cleared the flag before sch_handle_egress() and only read it afterwards, so the flag was not confined to the xmit that set it: a nested xmit (mirred redirect or mirror, or a drop after skbedit) could set the flag and the outer xmit would consume it for an skb that never went through skbedit. A forwarded packet still carries the ingress NIC's rx_queue + 1 in skb->queue_mapping, so the outer device then indexes its tx queue state with that stale value. Taprio's child array q->qdiscs[] is sized to the device's queue count, so taprio_enqueue() indexes past its allocation and dereferences the result as a struct Qdisc *. We (ab)use the skb->nf_skip_egress which means "skip netfilter egress for this packet" to tag to "am I in tc egress?". Despite the overload I dont see it as a conflict since the marker is set only around the single sch_handle_egress() call and ingress path is guarded by tc_at_ingress. I will send a followup(net-next) patch once this hits net-next to rename the skb->nf_skip_egress bit/flag to skb->skip_egress Arm the flag only from the egress classifier that can use it: raise skip_txqueue from tcf_skbedit_act() only when it runs inside sch_handle_egress(), thanks to skb->nf_skip_egress. An egress qdisc classifier runs in q->enqueue(), after the tx queue has been picked, so a mapping it sets cannot affect the current packet; arming the flag there only pollutes it for a later xmit. Then own the flag for the xmit frame the egress hook runs in: save the incoming value and clear it just before sch_handle_egress(), and restore it after the hook - on the consumed (drop) path, or, in the same call that reads it, on the surviving path. The save and the restores stay inside the egress_needed_key static branch, so a packet pays for them only when egress hooks are active (2f1e85b1aee4). Store the value netdev_cap_txqueue() selected back into skb->queue_mapping in netdev_tx_queue_mapping(), as netdev_core_pick_tx() already does, so the skip_txqueue path never hands a later reader on the xmit path a mapping the device cannot serve. A store made still later in the same frame, by a tc BPF program attached to a transmit qdisc, is outside this path and is not re-capped; a separate followup will resolve that path. netdev_xmit_skip_txqueue() returns the previous flag value so the save-and-clear is one call, and a no-op stub is provided when CONFIG_NET_EGRESS is disabled. skb->nf_skip_egress is compiled under CONFIG_NET_EGRESS rather than CONFIG_NETFILTER_SKIP_EGRESS, so skb_at_tc_egress() is valid whenever the egress path is built. A local user in a network namespace can redirect a packet from a device with more TX queues to one with fewer after setting a mapping valid only on the larger device. That reaches these reads and, under KASAN, faults with "slab-out-of-bounds in taprio_enqueue". Conditions to recreate the bug: the report's own trigger is a local user with CAP_NET_ADMIN in a network namespace, so no eBPF program is needed. With CONFIG_NET_SCH_TAPRIO=y, CONFIG_NET_ACT_SKBEDIT=y, CONFIG_NET_ACT_MIRRED=y, CONFIG_NET_CLS_MATCHALL=y, CONFIG_NET_SCH_PRIO=y and KASAN enabled, create qa (3 queues), qb (2 queues) and qc (1 queue) as dummy devices; put a taprio root on qb (num_tc 1, queues 2@0) and clsact on all three; then add an egress matchall filter on every device. On qa: "action skbedit queue_mapping 2 pipe action mirred egress redirect dev qb". On qb: "action mirred egress mirror dev qc". On qc: "action skbedit queue_mapping 0 pipe". Send one packet out qa. qc's skbedit sets the flag while qb's outer xmit is in flight; without the fix qb consumes it and reads its two-entry taprio child array with the forwarded packet's stale mapping. A qc whose skb ---truncated---
Title net: cap skb->queue_mapping when the tx queue is picked
First Time appeared Linux
Linux linux Kernel
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Linux
Linux linux Kernel
References
Weaknesses

Sources

Status
PUBLISHED
Assigner
Linux
Published
Updated
Oct 19, 2026, 9:25 AM
Reserved
Sep 25, 2026, 10:25 AM
Status
Received
Published
Oct 18, 2026, 4:17 PM
Modified
Oct 19, 2026, 10:19 AM
Severity
Moderate
Public date
Oct 18, 2026, 12:00 AM