{
    "dataType": "CVE_RECORD",
    "dataVersion": "5.2",
    "cveMetadata": {
        "cveId": "CVE-2026-14696",
        "assignerOrgId": "e2e69745-5e70-4e92-8431-deb5529a81ad",
        "state": "PUBLISHED",
        "assignerShortName": "zephyr",
        "dateReserved": "2026-07-04T05:18:34.276Z",
        "datePublished": "2026-08-31T18:57:06.627Z",
        "dateUpdated": "2026-08-31T18:57:06.627Z"
    },
    "containers": {
        "cna": {
            "providerMetadata": {
                "orgId": "e2e69745-5e70-4e92-8431-deb5529a81ad",
                "shortName": "zephyr",
                "dateUpdated": "2026-08-31T18:57:06.627Z"
            },
            "title": "Ethernet bridge RX packet leak enables denial of service via RX buffer-pool exhaustion",
            "descriptions": [
                {
                    "lang": "en",
                    "value": "When Ethernet bridging is enabled (CONFIG_NET_ETHERNET_BRIDGE), eth_bridge_input_process() in subsys/net/l2/ethernet/bridge/bridge_input.c decides how each frame received on a bridge member interface is handled. For frames that must also be delivered to the local stack, the code called eth_bridge_handle_locally() and returned NET_OK. That helper does not consume the packet — it only calls bridge_iface_recv() (via virtual_recv()), which returns NET_CONTINUE without taking ownership of pkt.\n\nThe NET_OK verdict then propagates through ethernet_recv() up to processing_data() in subsys/net/ip/net_core.c, where NET_OK is interpreted as \"the packet was consumed, do not free it.\" Because no consumer actually took ownership, the RX net_pkt is never returned to the pool and is leaked. The concretely reproducible leak occurs for frames whose EtherType has no registered L3 handler when CONFIG_NET_ETHERNET_FORWARD_UNRECOGNISED_ETHERTYPE is set (default y when CONFIG_NET_SOCKETS_PACKET is enabled): the fall-through L3 dispatch does not overwrite the NET_OK verdict, so ethernet_recv() returns NET_OK and the buffer is never released.\n\nAny device on a bridged L2 segment can emit broadcast/multicast frames carrying an arbitrary EtherType with no authentication. Each such frame permanently consumes one buffer from the finite RX pool (CONFIG_NET_PKT_RX_COUNT), so a brief broadcast flood exhausts the pool and the device can no longer receive traffic until it is rebooted — a persistent denial of service. There is no confidentiality or integrity impact.\n\nThe fix makes eth_bridge_handle_locally() propagate the real net_verdict and return NET_CONTINUE for locally-kept frames, writing the bridge interface back through a new dst_iface out-parameter so the packet follows the normal receive path and is unreferenced exactly once."
                }
            ],
            "affected": [
                {
                    "vendor": "zephyrproject",
                    "product": "zephyr",
                    "collectionURL": "https://github.com/zephyrproject-rtos/zephyr",
                    "packageName": "zephyr",
                    "defaultStatus": "unaffected",
                    "programFiles": [
                        "include/zephyr/net/ethernet_bridge.h",
                        "subsys/net/l2/ethernet/bridge/bridge_input.c",
                        "subsys/net/l2/ethernet/ethernet.c"
                    ],
                    "programRoutines": [
                        {
                            "name": "eth_bridge_handle_locally"
                        },
                        {
                            "name": "eth_bridge_input_process"
                        },
                        {
                            "name": "ethernet_recv"
                        }
                    ],
                    "versions": [
                        {
                            "version": "4.4.0",
                            "status": "affected",
                            "versionType": "semver",
                            "lessThan": "4.4.2"
                        }
                    ]
                }
            ],
            "references": [
                {
                    "url": "https://github.com/zephyrproject-rtos/zephyr/commit/4eb007af465a1d28f2f35d93ecf139cc62c542a7",
                    "name": "Fix commit",
                    "tags": [
                        "patch"
                    ]
                },
                {
                    "url": "https://github.com/zephyrproject-rtos/zephyr/security/advisories/GHSA-3m4w-wc4v-766q",
                    "name": "GHSA-3m4w-wc4v-766q"
                }
            ],
            "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"
            }
        }
    }
}