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Response snapshot Oct 30, 2026, 19:11 UTC

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VulnerabilityCVE-2026-93105

Linux kernel: esp: do not unref managed frag pages in esp_ssg_unref()

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: esp: do not unref managed frag pages in esp_ssg_unref() esp_ssg_unref() releases the page references held on the source scatterlist after the AEAD operation completes.

At a glance

Exploited
Not known
Severity
7.8 High (CVSS 3.1)
Chance of exploitation
0.2% in the next 30 days
Sources
1 source

What to do

Check the vendor advisory for affected versions and fixes.

Read NVD CVE-2026-93105 (opens a new tab)

What happened

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

esp: do not unref managed frag pages in esp_ssg_unref()

esp_ssg_unref() releases the page references held on the source scatterlist after the AEAD operation completes. It calls skb_page_unref() on every frag page for an out-of-place transform (req->src != req->dst), and in the error path of esp_output_tail() (already_unref == true) on the request's own scatterlist.

This is wrong when the skb carries managed frags (SKBFL_MANAGED_FRAG_REFS). Managed frags are owned by a zerocopy ubuf and the skb does not hold a per-frag page reference; io_uring SEND_ZC with a registered buffer attaches the bvec pages this way via io_sg_from_iter(). The rest of the stack honours this invariant: skb_release_data() skips the per-frag unref when SKBFL_MANAGED_FRAG_REFS is set, and skb_zcopy_managed() is the guard used at the other unref sites.

Continue reading

esp_ssg_unref() is missing that guard, so for a managed-frag skb it drops a page reference the skb never acquired. This can underflow the page reference count and free a page that is still in use.

Guard the function with skb_zcopy_managed() so both unref paths are skipped for managed-frag skbs, matching skb_release_data().

Scores and how they were measured

CVSS base severity

7.8

Version 3.1As of

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Measurement source (opens a new tab)

How bad it is if exploited. Not a prediction of exploitation or proof you are exposed.

EPSS probability

0.2%

Scored Percentile 7.0%

Model and measurement source (opens a new tab)

A model's estimate of exploitation in the next 30 days, not certainty or your own risk.

Related technology

Sources

  1. Primary source

    NVD CVE-2026-93105 (opens a new tab)

    NVD record: description, CVSS (the CNA score is preferred), affected products, and publication date. Not evidence of exploitation.

    Published Checked

  2. Primary source

    NVD CVE API 2.0 (opens a new tab)

    The NVD API page that supplied this CVE record.

    Published Date not suppliedChecked

  3. Primary source

    NVD CVE API 2.0 (opens a new tab)

    The NVD API page that supplied this CVE record.

    Published Date not suppliedChecked

  4. Primary source

    FIRST measured EPSS score (opens a new tab)

    Measured EPSS probability and percentile for CVE-2026-93105, scored 2026-10-30. This is a model estimate, not proof of exposure.

    Published Checked

Cite this record

For factual claims, cite the primary sources above; cite KEVWire for its compilation, dates, and classifications.

APA

KEVWire. (2026, October 30). Linux kernel: esp: do not unref managed frag pages in esp_ssg_unref() (CVE-2026-93105). https://kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-93105

MLA

"Linux kernel: esp: do not unref managed frag pages in esp_ssg_unref() (CVE-2026-93105)." KEVWire, 30 Oct. 2026, kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-93105.

Chicago

KEVWire. "Linux kernel: esp: do not unref managed frag pages in esp_ssg_unref() (CVE-2026-93105)." Last modified October 30, 2026. https://kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-93105.

Evidence summary (plain text)

Linux kernel: esp: do not unref managed frag pages in esp_ssg_unref() (Sep 17, 2026).
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

esp: do not unref managed frag pages in esp_ssg_unref()

esp_ssg_unref() releases the page references held on the source
scatterlist after the AEAD operation completes.  It calls
skb_page_unref() on every frag page for an out-of-place transform
(req->src != req->dst), and in the error path of esp_output_tail()
(already_unref == true) on the request's own scatterlist.

This is wrong when the skb carries managed frags
(SKBFL_MANAGED_FRAG_REFS).
CVSS 7.8 (version 3.1; evidence as of Oct 30, 2026; https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-93105).
EPSS 0.2% for the following 30 days, scored Oct 30, 2026 (https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-93105&date=2026-10-30).
Sources:
NVD CVE-2026-93105: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-93105
NVD CVE API 2.0: https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?lastModStartDate=2026-10-30T13:06:45.042Z&lastModEndDate=2026-10-30T14:50:57.069Z&resultsPerPage=500&startIndex=1000
NVD CVE API 2.0: https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?lastModStartDate=2026-10-30T12:22:16.957Z&lastModEndDate=2026-10-30T14:05:57.373Z&resultsPerPage=500&startIndex=1000
FIRST measured EPSS score: https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-93105&date=2026-10-30
Record ID: CVE-2026-93105.
Record origin: Ingested record.
AI evidence: Not assessed.
Known exploitation: Not assessed.
Zero-day status: Not assessed. KEV membership alone does not establish zero-day status.
About this data

This record was ingested from a data source. Retrieved: Oct 30, 2026, 14:52 UTC. Ingestion is not an independent editorial investigation.

NVD status: Received. Publication in the NVD is not evidence of exploitation.

A CISA KEV listing documents known exploitation, not necessarily a zero-day; absence from the catalog does not prove a vulnerability has never been exploited.

Technology tags indicate possible relevance, not verified exposure. Confirm the affected product, version, and configuration against your own inventory; KEVWire does not scan your systems.

A personal reading checklist on this device, not verified remediation.

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Record details

Record detail