{"dataType": "CVE_RECORD", "dataVersion": "5.2", "cveMetadata": {"cveId": "CVE-2026-14697", "assignerOrgId": "e2e69745-5e70-4e92-8431-deb5529a81ad", "state": "PUBLISHED", "assignerShortName": "zephyr", "dateReserved": "2026-07-04T05:18:35.366Z", "datePublished": "2026-08-31T19:34:49.586Z", "dateUpdated": "2026-08-31T19:34:49.586Z"}, "containers": {"cna": {"providerMetadata": {"orgId": "e2e69745-5e70-4e92-8431-deb5529a81ad", "shortName": "zephyr", "dateUpdated": "2026-08-31T19:34:49.586Z"}, "title": "IPv6 Neighbor Solicitation packet leak causes TX pool exhaustion denial of service", "descriptions": [{"lang": "en", "value": "net_ipv6_send_ns() in subsys/net/ip/ipv6_nbr.c allocates a transmit net_pkt for a Neighbor Solicitation. When it is called with a data packet pending on an unresolved neighbor and that neighbor's pending_queue is already non-empty (an NS is already outstanding), the function appends the data packet and returns early without ever sending the NS via net_send_data() or releasing it with net_pkt_unref(). The freshly allocated NS net_pkt and its attached TX buffers are held only by a local variable and are leaked permanently, never returning to CONFIG_NET_PKT_TX_COUNT / CONFIG_NET_BUF_TX_COUNT.\n\nThe leaking branch sits on the normal IPv6 transmit path: net_ipv6_prepare_for_send() (called from net_if.c) invokes net_ipv6_send_ns() for any outbound or forwarded IPv6 packet whose next hop is not yet in the neighbor cache. An on-link (adjacent) attacker can drive it deterministically by sending a burst of request packets (for example ICMPv6 echo requests or UDP datagrams) that all spoof a single non-existent on-link source address: the node generates a reply to each, the first reply queues an NS, and every subsequent reply during the roughly three-second INCOMPLETE resolution window takes the leaking branch and loses one TX packet. Router-configured nodes forwarding attacker traffic toward a non-existent on-link host leak identically.\n\nBecause the leaked packets are never reclaimed and CONFIG_NET_PKT_TX_COUNT defaults to only 4 (14 for Ethernet), a brief low-rate burst exhausts the TX pool. Once exhausted the node can no longer allocate any transmit packet and cannot send TCP/UDP, ARP/ND, or any reply at all, producing a complete and persistent network denial of service that does not self-heal until reboot. The fix releases the unsent NS packet with net_pkt_unref(pkt) before the early return."}], "affected": [{"vendor": "zephyrproject", "product": "zephyr", "collectionURL": "https://github.com/zephyrproject-rtos/zephyr", "packageName": "zephyr", "defaultStatus": "unaffected", "programFiles": ["subsys/net/ip/ipv6_nbr.c"], "programRoutines": [{"name": "net_ipv6_send_ns"}], "versions": [{"version": "4.3.0", "status": "affected", "versionType": "semver", "lessThan": "4.4.2"}]}], "references": [{"url": "https://github.com/zephyrproject-rtos/zephyr/commit/ab2670e8b5b8fcde4a699dd5cbe452abbd233289", "name": "Fix commit", "tags": ["patch"]}, {"url": "https://github.com/zephyrproject-rtos/zephyr/security/advisories/GHSA-x956-p489-8mf5", "name": "GHSA-x956-p489-8mf5"}], "metrics": [{"format": "CVSS", "cvssV3_1": {"version": "3.1", "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H", "baseScore": 6.5, "baseSeverity": "MEDIUM"}}], "problemTypes": [{"descriptions": [{"lang": "en", "description": "dos", "cweId": "CWE-401", "type": "CWE"}]}], "x_generator": {"engine": "cvelib 1.8.0"}}}}

{}

{"affected": [{"affectedData": [{"collectionURL": "https://github.com/zephyrproject-rtos/zephyr", "defaultStatus": "unaffected", "packageName": "zephyr", "product": "zephyr", "programFiles": ["subsys/net/ip/ipv6_nbr.c"], "programRoutines": [{"name": "net_ipv6_send_ns"}], "vendor": "zephyrproject", "versions": [{"lessThan": "4.4.2", "status": "affected", "version": "4.3.0", "versionType": "semver"}]}], "source": "[email protected]"}], "cveTags": [], "descriptions": [{"lang": "en", "value": "net_ipv6_send_ns() in subsys/net/ip/ipv6_nbr.c allocates a transmit net_pkt for a Neighbor Solicitation. When it is called with a data packet pending on an unresolved neighbor and that neighbor's pending_queue is already non-empty (an NS is already outstanding), the function appends the data packet and returns early without ever sending the NS via net_send_data() or releasing it with net_pkt_unref(). The freshly allocated NS net_pkt and its attached TX buffers are held only by a local variable and are leaked permanently, never returning to CONFIG_NET_PKT_TX_COUNT / CONFIG_NET_BUF_TX_COUNT.\n\nThe leaking branch sits on the normal IPv6 transmit path: net_ipv6_prepare_for_send() (called from net_if.c) invokes net_ipv6_send_ns() for any outbound or forwarded IPv6 packet whose next hop is not yet in the neighbor cache. An on-link (adjacent) attacker can drive it deterministically by sending a burst of request packets (for example ICMPv6 echo requests or UDP datagrams) that all spoof a single non-existent on-link source address: the node generates a reply to each, the first reply queues an NS, and every subsequent reply during the roughly three-second INCOMPLETE resolution window takes the leaking branch and loses one TX packet. Router-configured nodes forwarding attacker traffic toward a non-existent on-link host leak identically.\n\nBecause the leaked packets are never reclaimed and CONFIG_NET_PKT_TX_COUNT defaults to only 4 (14 for Ethernet), a brief low-rate burst exhausts the TX pool. Once exhausted the node can no longer allocate any transmit packet and cannot send TCP/UDP, ARP/ND, or any reply at all, producing a complete and persistent network denial of service that does not self-heal until reboot. The fix releases the unsent NS packet with net_pkt_unref(pkt) before the early return."}], "id": "CVE-2026-14697", "lastModified": "2026-08-31T20:17:03.253", "metrics": {"cvssMetricV31": [{"cvssData": {"attackComplexity": "LOW", "attackVector": "ADJACENT_NETWORK", "availabilityImpact": "HIGH", "baseScore": 6.5, "baseSeverity": "MEDIUM", "confidentialityImpact": "NONE", "integrityImpact": "NONE", "privilegesRequired": "NONE", "scope": "UNCHANGED", "userInteraction": "NONE", "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H", "version": "3.1"}, "exploitabilityScore": 2.8, "impactScore": 3.6, "source": "[email protected]", "type": "Secondary"}]}, "published": "2026-08-31T20:17:03.253", "references": [{"source": "[email protected]", "url": "https://github.com/zephyrproject-rtos/zephyr/commit/ab2670e8b5b8fcde4a699dd5cbe452abbd233289"}, {"source": "[email protected]", "url": "https://github.com/zephyrproject-rtos/zephyr/security/advisories/GHSA-x956-p489-8mf5"}], "sourceIdentifier": "[email protected]", "vulnStatus": "Received", "weaknesses": [{"description": [{"lang": "en", "value": "CWE-401"}], "source": "[email protected]", "type": "Secondary"}]}

{}

{"affected": [{"configurations": [{"platform": null, "status": "affected", "versions": {"scheme": "semver", "value": "[4.3.0,4.4.2)"}}], "enrichment": {"confidence": 100.0, "confidence_source": "matching", "scores": [{"score": 100.0, "source": "matching"}]}, "original": {"product": "zephyr", "source": "cna", "vendor": "zephyrproject"}, "product": "zephyr", "vendor": "zephyrproject"}], "created": "2026-08-31T20:30:05.419137+00:00", "updated": "2026-08-31T20:30:05.794526+00:00", "vendors": ["zephyrproject", "zephyrproject$PRODUCT$zephyr"]}