# CVE-2026-53235: net: add pskb_may_pull() to skb_gro_receive_list()

> A missing check in the Linux kernel's GRO receive path can trigger a kernel bug and crash the system when processing fragmented network packets.

- **Severity:** High 7.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 25 Jun 2026
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2026-53235, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-53235, GHSA-rfp8-j4xw-2g59, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-53235

## What is CVE-2026-53235?

CVE-2026-53235 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 25 Jun 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

net: add pskb_may_pull() to skb_gro_receive_list()

skb_gro_receive_list() calls skb_pull(skb, skb_gro_offset(skb)) without
first ensuring the data is in the linear area via pskb_may_pull(). When
the skb arrives via napi_gro_frags(), skb_headlen can be 0 (all data in
page fragments) while skb_gro_offset is non-zero (after IP+TCP header
parsing). The skb_pull() then decrements skb->len by skb_gro_offset
but skb->data_len stays unchanged, hitting BUG_ON(skb->len < skb->data_len)
in __skb_pull().

The UDP fraglist GRO path already contains this guard at
udp_offload.c:749. Adding it to skb_gro_receive_list() itself provides
centralized protection for all callers (TCP, UDP, and any future
protocols), and ensures the precondition of skb_pull() is satisfied
before it is called.

On pskb_may_pull() failure, set NAPI_GRO_CB(skb)->flush = 1 so the
skb is not held as a new GRO head and is instead delivered through the
normal receive path, matching the UDP handling.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-53235?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-53235?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-53235 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-53235 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel

- [CVE-2026-53266](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53266/): Linux Kernel Out-of-Bounds Write (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-6282](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-6282/): Linux Kernel Improper Input Validation (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2022-0185](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0185/): Linux Kernel Heap-Based Buffer Overflow (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-2094](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-2094/): Linux Kernel Privilege Escalation (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-53362](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53362/): Linux Kernel Unspecified (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-53235 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-53235 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 25 Jun 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-53235 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux kernel. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53235/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53235/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-53235
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-53235
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-53235

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53235/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.