Unscored severity · published Oct 23, 2026
CVE-2026-99043
ice: fix metadata_dst refcount handling on representor teardown
New
–
CVSS
0.2%
EPSS
No
On KEV
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
ice: fix metadata_dst refcount handling on representor teardown
ice_eswitch_release_repr() uses metadata_dst_free() to release the
representor's metadata_dst. metadata_dst_free() directly frees the
underlying memory without checking the dst_entry refcount.
When ice_eswitch_port_start_xmit() processes a packet, it takes a
reference via dst_hold() and attaches the metadata_dst to the skb.
If the representor is torn down while packets are still queued on
the lower device (e.g. in a qdisc), the metadata_dst is freed while
references are still held.
Use dst_release() instead, which correctly decrements the refcount
and only frees the object when all references are dropped. The dst
subsystem already handles metadata_dst cleanup in dst_destroy() when
DST_METADATA is set.
Other drivers sharing this pattern (nfp, airoha, bnxt) already use
dst_release() for their metadata_dst lifecycle.
Exploitation
Is it being used?
Exploit prediction (EPSS)0.2% · higher than 7% of CVEs
Exploited in the wildNo evidence yet
CISA KEVNot listed
Ransomware campaign useNot known
Affected products
Which versions
LI
Linux · Linux
f5396b8a663f7a78ee5b75a47ee524b40795b265 before 1f263235651775f93c15d90c9f25c3f4a4ef6512; f5396b8a663f7a78ee5b75a47ee524b40795b265 before 6f5544f53f1e58ea8a49fb9f9158d5793b9205b0; f5396b8a663f7a78ee5b75a47ee524b40795b265 before beb05f484a1e4a5a66e3678e4b7f3147f651c080; f5396b8a663f7a78ee5b75a47ee524b40795b265 before 5e4d20db5179e83a4948927bc39e489a9a83256d; f5396b8a663f7a78ee5b75a47ee524b40795b265 before 58858b8f14803a7eeac297b3ce20f3b21bf2ff66; 5.16 · source: vendor
References
NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-99043
CVE.org
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-99043
git.kernel.org
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1f263235651775f93c15d90c9f25c3f4a4ef6512
git.kernel.org
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/58858b8f14803a7eeac297b3ce20f3b21bf2ff66
git.kernel.org
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5e4d20db5179e83a4948927bc39e489a9a83256d
git.kernel.org
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6f5544f53f1e58ea8a49fb9f9158d5793b9205b0
git.kernel.org
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/beb05f484a1e4a5a66e3678e4b7f3147f651c080
More from Linux
9.8
CVE-2025-39682
tls: fix handling of zero-length records on the rx_list
8.8
CVE-2026-53266
netfilter: bridge: make ebt_snat ARP rewrite writable
7.8
CVE-2026-53362
ipv6: account for fraggap on the paged allocation path
7.8
CVE-2026-31431
crypto: algif_aead - Revert to operating out-of-place
7.8
CVE-2025-38352
posix-cpu-timers: fix race between handle_posix_cpu_timers() and posix_cpu_timer_del()
