CVE-2026-22994
5.5 · MEDIUMOverview
CVE-2026-22994 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting linux linux_kernel. It was published on January 23, 2026 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5 (MEDIUM).
This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5, rated MEDIUM. It requires local or adjacent network access to exploit. Some level of privileges is required for exploitation.
Technical Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
bpf: Fix reference count leak in bpf_prog_test_run_xdp()
syzbot is reporting
unregister_netdevice: waiting for sit0 to become free. Usage count = 2
problem. A debug printk() patch found that a refcount is obtained at
xdp_convert_md_to_buff() from bpf_prog_test_run_xdp().
According to commit ec94670fcb3b ("bpf: Support specifying ingress via
xdp_md context in BPF_PROG_TEST_RUN"), the refcount obtained by
xdp_convert_md_to_buff() will be released by xdp_convert_buff_to_md().
Therefore, we can consider that the error handling path introduced by
commit 1c1949982524 ("bpf: introduce frags support to
bpf_prog_test_run_xdp()") forgot to call xdp_convert_buff_to_md().
Remediation
Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from linux. Update linux_kernel to the latest patched version. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.
Affected Products
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| linux | linux_kernel | >= 5.18, < 6.1.161 | Affected |
References
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2026-22994?
CVE-2026-22994 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting linux linux_kernel. It was published on January 23, 2026 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5 (MEDIUM).
How severe is CVE-2026-22994?
This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5, rated MEDIUM. It requires local or adjacent network access to exploit. Some level of privileges is required for exploitation.
How do I fix or remediate CVE-2026-22994?
Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from linux. Update linux_kernel to the latest patched version. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.
How can CyberStrike help with CVE-2026-22994?
CyberStrike's AI-powered security agents can automatically detect CVE-2026-22994 across your infrastructure using autonomous pentesting, DAST scanning, and HackBrowser. The platform continuously monitors for known vulnerabilities and provides actionable remediation guidance prioritized by real-world exploitability.
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