---
id: CVE-2026-46172
title: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  ipv6: xfrm6: release dst on error in xfrm6_rcv_encap()

  xfrm6_rcv_encap() performs an IPv6 route lookup when the skb does not
  already have a dst attached
summary: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  ipv6: xfrm6: release dst on error in xfrm6_rcv_encap()

  xfrm6_rcv_encap() performs an IPv6 route lookup when the skb does not
  already have a dst attached. ip6_route_inp…
severity: medium
cvss: 5.5
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'
vendor: linux
product: linux_kernel
affected:
  - 'linux_kernel >= 5.8, < 5.10.258'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 5.11, < 5.15.209'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 5.16, < 6.1.175'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 6.2, < 6.6.140'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 6.7, < 6.12.88'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 6.13, < 6.18.30'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 6.19, < 7.0.7'
  - linux_kernel = 7.1
patched:
  - linux_kernel 7.0.7
published: '2026-05-28'
updated: '2026-09-08'
sourceUpdated: '2026-09-08T09:18:08.457'
source: NVD
sourceUrl: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-46172'
references:
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/554c9b090c8ac5b1c5c507f4badf8d5d0c9c6e13'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6a5eec0a2a0e99ec9743cf8f1c4082178811d90a'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/870560015ce6e0d8f841c6a8aba33c44be52c727'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9d5047782f9bd2829e529df69209bf3232eb561f'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a0721bcd72641c32b281f227a94505b31cf54117'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a20b34f6e854fe6f2aa82528fae7a88759919eb4'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/bc0fcb9823cd0894934cf968b525c575833d7078'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c2efc4956981066df2fef1cc77391b523db6d8e4'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-019113.html'
    label: 0b142b55-0307-4c5a-b3c9-f314f3fb7c5e
tags:
  - nvd
  - cve.org
epss: 0.00166
epssPercentile: 0.05165
ingestedAt: '2026-09-08T13:33:24.622Z'
---

## Overview

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

ipv6: xfrm6: release dst on error in xfrm6_rcv_encap()

xfrm6_rcv_encap() performs an IPv6 route lookup when the skb does not
already have a dst attached. ip6_route_input_lookup() returns a
referenced dst entry even when the lookup resolves to an error route.

If dst->error is set, xfrm6_rcv_encap() drops the skb without attaching
the dst to the skb and without releasing the reference returned by the
lookup. Repeated packets hitting this path therefore leak dst entries.

Release the dst before jumping to the drop path.

## Affected

- `linux_kernel >= 5.8, < 5.10.258`
- `linux_kernel >= 5.11, < 5.15.209`
- `linux_kernel >= 5.16, < 6.1.175`
- `linux_kernel >= 6.2, < 6.6.140`
- `linux_kernel >= 6.7, < 6.12.88`
- `linux_kernel >= 6.13, < 6.18.30`
- `linux_kernel >= 6.19, < 7.0.7`
- `linux_kernel = 7.1`

## Remediation

Upgrade past the affected range:

- `linux_kernel 7.0.7`