CVE-2026-53229
Published: June 25, 2026· Updated: Jun 30, 2026
Official Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
net/mlx5e: xsk: Fix DMA and xdp_frame leak on XDP_TX xmit failure
In the XSK branch of mlx5e_xmit_xdp_buff(), when sq->xmit_xdp_frame()
returns false (e.g. XDPSQ is full), the function returns without
unmapping the DMA address or freeing the xdp_frame allocated by
xdp_convert_zc_to_xdp_frame(). The xdpi_fifo push only happens on
success, so the completion path cannot recover these entries.
With CONFIG_DMA_API_DEBUG=y, the leak surfaces on driver unbind:
DMA-API: pci 0000:08:00.0: device driver has pending DMA
allocations while released from device [count=1116]
One of leaked entries details: [device address=0x000000010ffd7028]
[size=1534 bytes] [mapped with DMA_TO_DEVICE] [mapped as phy]
WARNING: kernel/dma/debug.c:881 at dma_debug_device_change+0x127/0x180
...
DMA-API: Mapped at:
debug_dma_map_phys+0x4b/0xd0
dma_map_phys+0xfd/0x2d0
mlx5e_xdp_handle+0x5ae/0xac0 [mlx5_core]
mlx5e_xsk_skb_from_cqe_mpwrq_linear+0xc4/0x170 [mlx5_core]
mlx5e_handle_rx_cqe_mpwrq+0xc1/0x290 [mlx5_core]
Add the missing unmap + xdp_return_frame, matching the cleanup already
done in mlx5e_xdp_xmit(). has_frags is rejected earlier in this branch,
so no per-frag unmap is needed.
Technical Analysis
CVE-2026-53229 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.
The vulnerability requires no privileges and no user interaction, making it a prime target for automated exploitation campaigns and worm-like propagation.
A successful exploit results in availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 7.5.
CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown
Affected Vendors & Products
Exploit & PoC Resources
All References (4)
Quick Facts
Recommended Actions
- →Apply vendor patches immediately
- →Monitor CVE-2026-53229 in threat intel feeds
- →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts