CVE-2026-23095: gue: Fix skb memleak with inner IP protocol 0.
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
gue: Fix skb memleak with inner IP protocol 0.
syzbot reported skb memleak below. [0]
The repro generated a GUE packet with its inner protocol 0.
gue_udp_recv() returns -guehdr->proto_ctype for "resubmit"
in ip_protocol_deliver_rcu(), but this only works with
non-zero protocol number.
Let's drop such packets.
Note that 0 is a valid number (IPv6 Hop-by-Hop Option).
I think it is not practical to encap HOPOPT in GUE, so once
someone starts to complain, we could pass down a resubmit
flag pointer to distinguish two zeros from the upper layer:
* no error
* resubmit HOPOPT
[0]
BUG: memory leak
unreferenced object 0xffff888109695a00 (size 240):
comm "syz.0.17", pid 6088, jiffies 4294943096
hex dump (first 32 bytes):
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ................
00 40 c2 10 81 88 ff ff 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 .@..............
backtrace (crc a84b336f):
kmemleak_alloc_recursive include/linux/kmemleak.h:44 [inline]
slab_post_alloc_hook mm/slub.c:4958 [inline]
slab_alloc_node mm/slub.c:5263 [inline]
kmem_cache_alloc_noprof+0x3b4/0x590 mm/slub.c:5270
__build_skb+0x23/0x60 net/core/skbuff.c:474
build_skb+0x20/0x190 net/core/skbuff.c:490
__tun_build_skb drivers/net/tun.c:1541 [inline]
tun_build_skb+0x4a1/0xa40 drivers/net/tun.c:1636
tun_get_user+0xc12/0x2030 drivers/net/tun.c:1770
tun_chr_write_iter+0x71/0x120 drivers/net/tun.c:1999
new_sync_write fs/read_write.c:593 [inline]
vfs_write+0x45d/0x710 fs/read_write.c:686
ksys_write+0xa7/0x170 fs/read_write.c:738
do_syscall_x64 arch/x86/entry/syscall_64.c:63 [inline]
do_syscall_64+0xa4/0xf80 arch/x86/entry/syscall_64.c:94
entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f
Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2026-23095 is a Linux kernel memory leak in GUE packet handling. A crafted encapsulated packet with inner protocol value 0 can cause kernel socket buffer memory not to be freed. The main business risk is availability degradation or denial of service on affected Linux systems that process this traffic.
Executive priority
Prioritize routine-to-expedited patching for internet-facing, network-edge, virtualization, tunneling, or appliance systems. The issue is high severity because it can affect availability without authentication, but current sources do not show active exploitation.
Technical view
The flaw is in gue_udp_recv() handling of GUE packets with inner IP protocol 0. The resubmit return path does not work for a zero protocol number, causing an skb memory leak. The kernel fix drops such packets. CVSS is 7.5, network reachable, low complexity, no privileges, no user interaction, availability-only impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely on Linux systems running affected kernel builds with GUE processing reachable. The bundle lists Linux kernel versions and stable commits, but exact downstream distro package exposure must be confirmed through vendor advisories.
Exploitation context
The evidence cites a syzbot memory-leak report and kernel fixes. The bundle marks KEV false and provides no cited evidence of active exploitation. Treat exploitability as plausible for availability impact, but do not assume real-world exploitation from these sources alone.
Researcher notes
The root condition is inner protocol 0 in GUE. The fix behavior is to drop such packets, with source discussion noting protocol 0 is valid for IPv6 Hop-by-Hop but considered impractical for GUE encapsulation. Downstream version ranges need vendor confirmation.
Mitigation direction
Apply Linux kernel updates containing the referenced stable fixes.
Check distribution and appliance vendor advisories for packaged kernel status.
Review Siemens SSA-019113 if Siemens products are in scope.
Limit exposure of GUE-related traffic where operationally unnecessary.
Monitor affected systems for abnormal kernel memory growth or packet-processing instability.
Validation and detection
Inventory Linux kernel versions across servers, appliances, and embedded systems.
Map installed kernels to vendor advisories and fixed stable commits.
Confirm whether GUE processing or related encapsulated traffic is enabled or reachable.
Check vulnerability scanner findings against distro backport notes.
Review logs and monitoring for availability symptoms or memory pressure.
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Potential ATT&CK relevance
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