---
id: CVE-2026-72296
title: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  net: ife: require ETH_HLEN to be pullable in ife_decode()

  ife decode may return after making only the outer IFE header and
  metadata pullable
summary: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  net: ife: require ETH_HLEN to be pullable in ife_decode()

  ife decode may return after making only the outer IFE header and
  metadata pullable. The caller then passes th…
severity: critical
cvss: 9.1
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H'
cwe:
  - CWE-125
vendor: Red Hat
product: Linux
affected:
  - >-
    Linux >= ef6980b6becb1afd9d82a4f043749a10ae81bf14 <
    70013f9163bef7fbd9fa62f81cf91b2a7ba66163
  - >-
    Linux >= ef6980b6becb1afd9d82a4f043749a10ae81bf14 <
    be272e159dfe1207b67332ad6e17adcf59b4ea4b
  - >-
    Linux >= ef6980b6becb1afd9d82a4f043749a10ae81bf14 <
    8c8818e52fddb247ff3214622401a4de6ff8482e
  - >-
    Linux >= ef6980b6becb1afd9d82a4f043749a10ae81bf14 <
    9433578bff9c100c466a6354574892e55293cb8f
  - >-
    Linux >= ef6980b6becb1afd9d82a4f043749a10ae81bf14 <
    1cb42ec10294a55380e52e674b3df2b962648242
  - >-
    Linux >= ef6980b6becb1afd9d82a4f043749a10ae81bf14 <
    5526d1997aea6c9bd865ca4d4894b52e799d735c
  - >-
    Linux >= ef6980b6becb1afd9d82a4f043749a10ae81bf14 <
    b69ad768cd4a2ef4e07c18492ae85438ed17c7cb
  - >-
    Linux >= ef6980b6becb1afd9d82a4f043749a10ae81bf14 <
    9406f6012b7343661efb516a11c62d4db2b62f75
  - Linux 4.6
published: '2026-08-15'
updated: '2026-10-16'
sourceUpdated: '2026-10-16T19:17:19.437'
source: NVD
sourceUrl: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-72296'
references:
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1cb42ec10294a55380e52e674b3df2b962648242'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5526d1997aea6c9bd865ca4d4894b52e799d735c'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/70013f9163bef7fbd9fa62f81cf91b2a7ba66163'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8c8818e52fddb247ff3214622401a4de6ff8482e'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9406f6012b7343661efb516a11c62d4db2b62f75'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9433578bff9c100c466a6354574892e55293cb8f'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b69ad768cd4a2ef4e07c18492ae85438ed17c7cb'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/be272e159dfe1207b67332ad6e17adcf59b4ea4b'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: >-
      https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-72296.json
  - url: 'https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-72296'
  - url: 'https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2516243'
  - url: 'https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-72296'
  - url: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-72296'
  - url: >-
      https://lore.kernel.org/linux-cve-announce/2026081501-CVE-2026-72296-be28@gregkh/T
tags:
  - nvd
  - csaf
  - vex
  - red-hat
  - cve.org
  - score-dispute
epss: 0.00735
epssPercentile: 0.54231
ssvc:
  exploitation: none
  automatable: 'yes'
  technicalImpact: partial
  timestamp: '2026-10-16T18:45:54.972693Z'
scores:
  nvd: 9.1
  vendor: 5.5
  cna: 9.1
ingestedAt: '2026-10-16T19:46:24.412Z'
---

## Overview

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

net: ife: require ETH_HLEN to be pullable in ife_decode()

ife decode may return after making only the outer IFE header and
metadata pullable. The caller then passes the decapsulated packet to
eth_type_trans(), which expects the inner Ethernet header to be
accessible from the linear data area.

With a malformed IFE frame, the inner Ethernet header may still be
shorter than ETH_HLEN in the linear area, which can lead to a crash in
the original code.

Fix this by extending the pull check in ife_decode() so that the inner
Ethernet header is also guaranteed to be pullable before returning.

## Remediation

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

## Vendor advisories

- **Red Hat VEX** · Moderate · updated 2026-10-16 · [vex](https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-72296.json)