CVE-2026-63983: net/sched: fix packet loop on netem when duplicate is on

Severity: unknown
Exploited in the wild: not listed in CISA KEV
EPSS: 0.2% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
Public exploit or detection template: none known
Published: 2026-07-19 · updated 2026-10-15

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/sched: fix packet loop on netem when duplicate is on When netem duplicates a packet it re-enqueues the copy at the root qdisc. If another netem sits in the tree the copy can be duplicated again, recursing until the stack or memory is exhausted. The original duplication guard temporarily zeroed q->duplicate around the re-enqueue, but that does not cover all cases because it is per-qdisc state shared across all concurrent enqueue paths and is not safe without additional locking. Use the skb tc_depth field introduced in an earlier patch: - increment it on the duplicate before re-enqueue - skip duplication for any skb whose tc_depth is already non-zero. This marks the packet itself rather than mutating qdisc state, therefore it is safe regardless of tree topology or concurrency.

Affected products

Linux kernel: 2.6.12 — fixed in 7.1

How to fix

Upgrade to a fixed version: Linux kernel 7.1. Check the vendor advisory for mitigations.

References

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