CVE-2026-31691
MediumIn the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: igb: remove napi_synchronize() in igb_down() When an AF_XDP zero-copy application terminates abruptly (e.g., kill -9), the XSK buffer pool is destroyed but NAPI polling continues. igb_clean_rx_irq_zc() repeatedly returns the full budget, preventing napi_complete_done() from clearing NAPI_STATE_SCHED. igb_down() calls napi_synchronize() before napi_disable() for each queue vector. napi_synchronize() spins waiting for NAPI_STATE_SCHED to clear, which never happens. igb_down() blocks indefinitely, the TX watchdog fires, and the TX queue remains permanently stalled. napi_disable() already handles this correctly: it sets NAPI_STATE_DISABLE. After a full-budget poll, __napi_poll() checks napi_disable_pending(). If set, it forces completion and clears NAPI_STATE_SCHED, breaking the loop that napi_synchronize() cannot. napi_synchronize() was added in commit 41f149a285da ("igb: Fix possible panic caused by Rx traffic arrival while interface is down"). napi_disable() provides stronger guarantees: it prevents further scheduling and waits for any active poll to exit. Other Intel drivers (ixgbe, ice, i40e) use napi_disable() without a preceding napi_synchronize() in their down paths. Remove redundant napi_synchronize() call and reorder napi_disable() before igb_set_queue_napi() so the queue-to-NAPI mapping is only cleared after polling has fully stopped.
CVSS 3.1 score
5.5
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Affected versions
Linux kernel versions
6.14
and later are affected. Fixed in
6.18.23,
6.19.13,
7.0
and their respective stable series.
References
The following references provide additional information about CVE-2026-31691 including vendor advisories, patch commits, exploit details, and third-party analysis. Links are sourced from the NIST NVD database.
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PatchKernel patch commithttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/27f5997686ee7fb7ac01be72b2010f168a3409fc
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PatchKernel patch commithttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4700471775746058c962ded6e659bf908fd76e13
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PatchKernel patch commithttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b1e067240379f950a0022208e0685f3465c211cb
Frequently asked questions
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What is CVE-2026-31691?
CVE-2026-31691 is a Medium severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10 . It affects Linux kernel versions from 6.14 onward and has been patched in 6.18.23, 6.19.13 and 7.0. CVE-2026-31691 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
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What is the CVSS score for CVE-2026-31691?
CVE-2026-31691 has a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10, rated Medium severity (CVSS 3.1). The vector string is
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H. -
Is there a patch available for CVE-2026-31691?
Yes — CVE-2026-31691 has been patched. Fixed versions include 6.18.23, 6.19.13 and 7.0. If you are running Linux kernel 6.14 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.
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Is CVE-2026-31691 actively exploited?
No — CVE-2026-31691 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.