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Linux KernelOperating system · Linux

CVE-2026-31616

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-04-24
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 6.6.136 / 6.12.83 or later.
See remediation →
57/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Zero-click Patch available

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: usb: gadget: f_phonet: fix skb frags[] overflow in pn_rx_complete() A broken/bored/mean USB host can overflow the skb_shared_info->frags[] array on a Linux gadget exposing a Phonet function by sending an unbounded sequence of full-page OUT transfers. pn_rx_complete() finalizes the skb only when req->actual < req->length, where req->length is set to PAGE_SIZE by the gadget. If the host always sends exactly PAGE_SIZE bytes per transfer, fp->rx.skb will never be reset and each completion will add another fragment via skb_add_rx_frag(). Once nr_frags exceeds MAX_SKB_FRAGS (default 17), subsequent frag stores overwrite memory adjacent to the shinfo on the heap. Drop the skb and account a length error when the frag limit is reached, matching the fix applied in t7xx by commit f0813bcd2d9d ("net: wwan: t7xx: fix potential skb->frags overflow in RX path").

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis
How this class of weakness works · CWE-401

Allocated memory is never released on some path, so a long-running service or a repeatedly triggered request steadily consumes memory until performance degrades or the process crashes. Attackers exploit it by simply driving the leaking path. Remediation is pairing every allocation with a release and using ownership patterns or tooling to catch what leaks.

General guidance for the memory leak class — the official description and references above are authoritative for this specific CVE. Want a bespoke review and a reviewed fix? Ask our team →

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Linux KernelOperating system
Affected:>= 2.6.32, < 6.6.136>= 6.7, < 6.12.83>= 6.13, < 6.18.24>= 6.19, < 6.19.14>= 7.0, < 7.0.1

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 6.6.136 / 6.12.83 / 6.18.24 or later
Fixed in 6.6.1366.12.836.18.24
Vendor patch git.kernel.org →
Recommended fix High confidence

6.6.136, 6.12.83, 6.18.24, or 6.19.14 (depending on which stable branch you are on)

  1. Identify the currently running Linux kernel version using 'uname -r'
  2. Check which stable branch your kernel version belongs to (e.g., 6.6.x, 6.12.x, 6.18.x, or 6.19.x)
  3. Upgrade to a fixed kernel version: for 6.6.x branch upgrade to >= 6.6.136, for 6.7-6.12.x upgrade to >= 6.12.83, for 6.13-6.18.x upgrade to >= 6.18.24, for 6.19.x upgrade to >= 6.19.14
  4. Use your distribution's package manager to install the updated kernel (e.g., 'apt-get update && apt-get install linux-image-<version>' for Debian/Ubuntu, or 'yum update kernel' for RHEL/CentOS)
  5. Reboot the system to load the patched kernel
  6. Verify the fix is applied by checking the kernel version and confirming the f_phonet module behavior
Caveat Kernel upgrades may require system reboot and could introduce compatibility issues with custom kernel modules or specific hardware drivers; test in staging environment first

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

We can perform the upgrade in your staging environment and verify nothing breaks — typical engagement from $1,600. Get the upgrade done

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2026-31616 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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