---
id: "CVE-2026-99046"
kind: "vulnerability"
aliases: ["CVE-2026-99046"]
title: "Linux kernel: gve driver leaks AF_XDP buffers on bad RX descriptors"
severity: "unknown"
cvss: null
epss: 0.00206
exploited: false
status: "open"
category: "infrastructure"
products: []
ecosystems: []
tags: ["af-xdp", "gcp", "infrastructure", "linux-kernel"]
not_affected_if: ["no-af-xdp-zero-copy"]
published_at: "2026-10-23T13:17:28+00:00"
first_seen_at: "2026-10-23T21:57:33+00:00"
updated_at: "2026-10-25T12:38:50+00:00"
sources: [{"source": "nvd", "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-99046", "first_seen_at": "2026-10-23T21:57:33+00:00"}, {"source": "epss", "url": "https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-99046", "first_seen_at": "2026-10-25T12:38:50+00:00"}]
---

# Linux kernel: gve driver leaks AF_XDP buffers on bad RX descriptors

The Google Virtual Ethernet (gve) driver in the Linux kernel did not free an AF_XDP zero-copy buffer when the receive completion descriptor carried an error bit, so buffers leaked. The sources describe a resource leak and do not say that an attacker can run code or read data.

_Summary, check and fix written by a model from the sources; labelled as such._

## How to check

- unknown

## Fix

- unknown

## Timeline

- 2026-10-23T21:57:33+00:00 nvd https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-99046
- 2026-10-25T12:38:50+00:00 epss https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-99046

## From the sources

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

gve: fix XSK buffer leak on error descriptor

When the error bit is set in the RX completion descriptor, the buf_state
and its attached buffer should be freed. In the case of AF_XDP ZC, the
XSK buffer was not freed, leading to a leak.

This issue was caught by LLM.

---

_Free to read at a human pace. An API with keys and an MCP server are in preparation; early access: hello@infrastack.ai_