Unity Linux 20.1050e Security Update: kernel (UTSA-2026-099737)

high Nessus Plugin ID 336138

Synopsis

The Unity Linux host is missing one or more security updates.

Description

The Unity Linux 20 host has a package installed that is affected by a vulnerability as referenced in the UTSA-2026-099737 advisory.

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

mac802154: llsec: add skb_cow_data() before in-place crypto

llsec_do_encrypt_unauth(), llsec_do_encrypt_auth(), llsec_do_decrypt_unauth(), and llsec_do_decrypt_auth() all perform in-place cryptographic transformations on skb data. They build a scatterlist with sg_init_one() pointing into the skb's linear data area and then pass the same scatterlist as both src and dst to the crypto API (e.g. crypto_skcipher_encrypt/decrypt, crypto_aead_encrypt/decrypt).

On the RX path, __ieee802154_rx_handle_packet() clones the received skb before handing it to each subscriber via ieee802154_subif_frame(). The cloned skb shares the same underlying data buffer via reference counting. When llsec_do_decrypt() subsequently modifies this shared buffer in place, it corrupts data that other clones -- potentially belonging to other sockets or subsystems -- still reference.

On the TX path, similar data sharing can occur when an skb's head has been cloned (skb_cloned() returns true).

The fix is to call skb_cow_data() before performing any in-place crypto operation. skb_cow_data() ensures that the skb's data area is not shared: if the skb head is cloned or the data spans multiple fragments, it copies the data into a private buffer that can be safely modified in place. This is the same pattern used by:

- ESP (net/ipv4/esp4.c, net/ipv6/esp6.c)
- MACsec (drivers/net/macsec.c)
- WireGuard (drivers/net/wireguard/receive.c)
- TIPC (net/tipc/crypto.c)

Without this guard, in-place crypto on shared skb data leads to:
- Silent data corruption of other skb clones
- Use-after-free when the crypto API scatterwalk writes through a page that has already been freed by another clone's kfree_skb()
- Kernel crashes under concurrent 802.15.4 traffic with security enabled (KASAN/KMSAN reports slab-use-after-free)

Found by 0sec (https://0sec.ai) using automated source analysis.

Tenable has extracted the preceding description block directly from the Unity Linux security advisory.

Note that Nessus has not tested for this issue but has instead relied only on the application's self-reported version number.

Solution

Update the affected kernel package.

See Also

https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-63831

http://www.nessus.org/u?707ca7d4

http://www.nessus.org/u?d074bd93

Plugin Details

Severity: High

ID: 336138

File Name: unity_linux_UTSA-2026-099737.nasl

Version: 1.1

Type: Local

Published: 8/17/2026

Updated: 8/17/2026

Supported Sensors: Nessus

Risk Information

VPR

Risk Factor: Medium

Score: 6.9

Percentile: 96.78

CVSS v2

Risk Factor: High

Base Score: 8.3

Temporal Score: 6.1

Vector: CVSS2#AV:A/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

CVSS Score Source: CVE-2026-63831

CVSS v3

Risk Factor: High

Base Score: 8.8

Temporal Score: 7.7

Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Temporal Vector: CVSS:3.0/E:U/RL:O/RC:C

Vulnerability Information

Required KB Items: Host/local_checks_enabled, Host/cpu, Host/UOS-Server/release, Host/UOS-Server/rpm-list

Exploit Ease: No known exploits are available

Patch Publication Date: 8/13/2026

Vulnerability Publication Date: 7/19/2026

Reference Information

CVE: CVE-2026-63831