CVE-2026-74684
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: tap: set skb->dev before parsing virtio net header in tap_get_user_xdp() The commit 4f61f133f354 ("net: tap: NULL pointer derefence in dev_parse_header_protocol when skb->dev is null") fixed a crash in tap_get_user() by assigning skb->dev before calling tun_vnet_hdr_to_skb(). This is required because virtio_net_hdr_to_skb() may invoke dev_parse_header_protocol(), which dereferences skb->dev. Without the assignment, a NULL pointer dereference can occur. However, tap_get_user_xdp() still parses the virtio-net header before assigning skb->dev. When the vhost TX path passes an XDP buffer containing a GSO virtio-net header but the protocol is set to zero on purpose, tun_vnet_hdr_to_skb() can reach dev_parse_header_protocol() while skb->dev is still NULL, resulting in a crash. Fix this by looking up the tap device and assigning skb->dev before calling tun_vnet_hdr_to_skb(), matching the ordering already used in tap_get_user(). Preserve the existing RCU read-side critical section across dev_queue_xmit().
Affected versions
Linux kernel versions
4.14.226,
4.19.181,
5.4.106,
5.10.24,
5.11.7,
5.12
and later are affected. Fixed in
6.18.45,
7.1.9,
7.2
and their respective stable series.
References
3 totalFrequently asked questions
-
What is CVE-2026-74684?
CVE-2026-74684 is a unscored severity Linux kernel vulnerability . It affects Linux kernel versions from 4.14.226 onward and has been patched in 6.18.45, 7.1.9 and 7.2. CVE-2026-74684 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
-
Is there a patch available for CVE-2026-74684?
Yes. CVE-2026-74684 has been patched. Fixed versions include 6.18.45, 7.1.9 and 7.2. If you are running Linux kernel 4.14.226 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.
-
Is CVE-2026-74684 actively exploited?
No. CVE-2026-74684 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.