Linux KernelOperating system · Linux
CVE-2026-46207
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 · uneditedIn the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: vsock/virtio: fix empty payload in tap skb for non-linear buffers For non-linear skbs, virtio_transport_build_skb() goes through virtio_transport_copy_nonlinear_skb() to copy the original payload in the new skb to be delivered to the vsockmon tap device. This manually initializes an iov_iter but does not set iov_iter.count. Since the iov_iter is zero-initialized, the copy length is zero and no payload is actually copied to the monitor interface, leaving data un-initialized. Fix this by removing the linear vs non-linear split and using skb_copy_datagram_iter() with iov_iter_kvec() for all cases, as vhost-vsock already does. This handles both linear and non-linear skbs, properly initializes the iov_iter, and removes the now unused virtio_transport_copy_nonlinear_skb(). While touching this code, let's also check the return value of skb_copy_datagram_iter(), even though it's unlikely to fail.
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 analysisAllocated 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
>= 6.7, < 6.12.90>= 6.13, < 6.18.32>= 6.19, < 7.0.9= 7.1CVSS 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 · scoped6.12.906.18.327.0.9
6.12.90+ (for 6.7-6.12.x kernels), 6.18.32+ (for 6.13-6.18.x kernels), 7.0.9+ (for 6.19-7.0.x kernels), or 7.2+ (for 7.1 kernel)
- 1. Identify the currently running kernel version using 'uname -r' or 'cat /proc/version'
- 2. Determine which affected version range your kernel falls into: >= 6.7 and < 6.12.90, >= 6.13 and < 6.18.32, >= 6.19 and < 7.0.9, or exactly 7.1
- 3. Schedule a maintenance window for the kernel upgrade (requires system reboot)
- 4. Update the kernel package to a fixed version using your distribution's package manager: for 6.7-6.12.x range use 6.12.90 or later; for 6.13-6.18.x range use 6.18.32 or later; for 6.19-7.0.x range use 7.0.9 or later; for 7.1 use 7.2 or later
- 5. Reboot the system to load the patched kernel
- 6. Verify the new kernel version is running with 'uname -r' and confirm the fix is applied
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2026-46207 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2026-46207 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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