Bug 2516253 (CVE-2026-72019)

Summary: CVE-2026-72019 kernel: macsec: don't read an unset MAC header in macsec_encrypt()
Product: [Other] Security Response Reporter: OSIDB Bzimport <bzimport>
Component: vulnerabilityAssignee: Product Security DevOps Team <prodsec-dev>
Status: NEW --- QA Contact:
Severity: medium Docs Contact:
Priority: medium    
Version: unspecifiedCC: rhel-process-autobot, watson-tool-maintainers
Target Milestone: ---Keywords: Security
Target Release: ---   
Hardware: All   
OS: Linux   
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A flaw was found in the `macsec` component of the Linux kernel. When processing packets on the AF_PACKET SOCK_RAW + PACKET_QDISC_BYPASS transmit path, the `macsec_encrypt()` function attempts to read an unset Media Access Control (MAC) header. This leads to a 12-byte heap over-read, where sensitive data from memory beyond the intended buffer is accessed. This over-read data is then transmitted on the wire as part of the frame's outer source/destination MAC, potentially leading to information disclosure.
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oVirt Team: --- RHEL 7.3 requirements from Atomic Host:
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Description OSIDB Bzimport 2026-08-15 06:02:49 UTC
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

macsec: don't read an unset MAC header in macsec_encrypt()

macsec_encrypt() reads the Ethernet header via eth_hdr(skb)
(skb->head + skb->mac_header) to memmove() the 12 source/destination MAC
bytes forward and make room for the SecTAG.

On the AF_PACKET SOCK_RAW + PACKET_QDISC_BYPASS transmit path the skb
reaches the macsec ndo_start_xmit() with the MAC header unset, so
eth_hdr(skb) resolves to skb->head + (u16)~0 and the read is out of
bounds: a 12-byte heap over-read that is also emitted on the wire as the
frame's outer source/destination MAC. KASAN reports a slab-out-of-bounds
read in macsec_start_xmit() on 6.0; on current mainline a CONFIG_DEBUG_NET
build flags it as an unset mac header in skb_mac_header().

On the TX path the L2 header is at skb->data, so use skb_eth_hdr(), added
by commit 96cc4b69581d ("macvlan: do not assume mac_header is set in
macvlan_broadcast()") for exactly this purpose.