---
id: CVE-2026-22994
title: 'bpf: Fix reference count leak in bpf_prog_test_run_xdp()'
summary: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  bpf: Fix reference count leak in bpf_prog_test_run_xdp()

  syzbot is reporting

    unregister_netdevice: waiting for sit0 to become free. Usage count = 2

  problem. A debu…
severity: none
vendor: Linux
product: Linux
affected:
  - >-
    Linux >= 1c194998252469cad00a08bd9ef0b99fd255c260 <
    368569bc546d3368ee9980ba79fc42fdff9a3365
  - >-
    Linux >= 1c194998252469cad00a08bd9ef0b99fd255c260 <
    98676ee71fd4eafeb8be63c7f3f1905d40e03101
  - >-
    Linux >= 1c194998252469cad00a08bd9ef0b99fd255c260 <
    fb9ef40cccdbacce36029b305d0ef1e12e4fea38
  - >-
    Linux >= 1c194998252469cad00a08bd9ef0b99fd255c260 <
    737be05a765761d7d7c9f7fe92274bd8e6f6951e
  - >-
    Linux >= 1c194998252469cad00a08bd9ef0b99fd255c260 <
    ec69daabe45256f98ac86c651b8ad1b2574489a7
  - Linux 5.18
published: '2026-01-23'
updated: '2026-09-08'
sourceUpdated: '2026-09-08T08:44:32.357Z'
source: CVEORG
sourceUrl: 'https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-22994'
references:
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/368569bc546d3368ee9980ba79fc42fdff9a3365'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/98676ee71fd4eafeb8be63c7f3f1905d40e03101'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fb9ef40cccdbacce36029b305d0ef1e12e4fea38'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/737be05a765761d7d7c9f7fe92274bd8e6f6951e'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ec69daabe45256f98ac86c651b8ad1b2574489a7'
tags:
  - cve.org
epss: 0.00137
epssPercentile: 0.02561
ingestedAt: '2026-09-08T15:33:26.994Z'
---

## Overview

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

bpf: Fix reference count leak in bpf_prog_test_run_xdp()

syzbot is reporting

  unregister_netdevice: waiting for sit0 to become free. Usage count = 2

problem. A debug printk() patch found that a refcount is obtained at
xdp_convert_md_to_buff() from bpf_prog_test_run_xdp().

According to commit ec94670fcb3b ("bpf: Support specifying ingress via
xdp_md context in BPF_PROG_TEST_RUN"), the refcount obtained by
xdp_convert_md_to_buff() will be released by xdp_convert_buff_to_md().

Therefore, we can consider that the error handling path introduced by
commit 1c1949982524 ("bpf: introduce frags support to
bpf_prog_test_run_xdp()") forgot to call xdp_convert_buff_to_md().

## Affected

- `Linux >= 1c194998252469cad00a08bd9ef0b99fd255c260 < 368569bc546d3368ee9980ba79fc42fdff9a3365`
- `Linux >= 1c194998252469cad00a08bd9ef0b99fd255c260 < 98676ee71fd4eafeb8be63c7f3f1905d40e03101`
- `Linux >= 1c194998252469cad00a08bd9ef0b99fd255c260 < fb9ef40cccdbacce36029b305d0ef1e12e4fea38`
- `Linux >= 1c194998252469cad00a08bd9ef0b99fd255c260 < 737be05a765761d7d7c9f7fe92274bd8e6f6951e`
- `Linux >= 1c194998252469cad00a08bd9ef0b99fd255c260 < ec69daabe45256f98ac86c651b8ad1b2574489a7`
- `Linux 5.18`

## Remediation

Refer to the linked advisories for vendor-supplied fixes and affected version ranges.