In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
igc: avoid returning frame twice in XDP_REDIRECT
When a frame can not be transmitted in XDP_REDIRECT
(e.g. due to a full queue), it is necessary to free
it by calling xdp_return_frame_rx_napi.
However, this is the responsibility of the caller of
the ndo_xdp_xmit (see for example bq_xmit_all in
kernel/bpf/devmap.c) and thus calling it inside
igc_xdp_xmit (which is the ndo_xdp_xmit of the igc
driver) as well will lead to memory corruption.
In fact, bq_xmit_all expects that it can return all
frames after the last successfully transmitted one.
Therefore, break for the first not transmitted frame,
but do not call xdp_return_frame_rx_napi in igc_xdp_xmit.
This is equally implemented in other Intel drivers
such as the igb.
There are two alternatives to this that were rejected:
1. Return num_frames as all the frames would have been
transmitted and release them inside igc_xdp_xmit.
While it might work technically, it is not what
the return value is meant to represent (i.e. the
number of SUCCESSFULLY transmitted packets).
2. Rework kernel/bpf/devmap.c and all drivers to
support non-consecutively dropped packets.
Besides being complex, it likely has a negative
performance impact without a significant gain
since it is anyway unlikely that the next frame
can be transmitted if the previous one was dropped.
The memory corruption can be reproduced with
the following script which leads to a kernel panic
after a few seconds. It basically generates more
traffic than a i225 NIC can transmit and pushes it
via XDP_REDIRECT from a virtual interface to the
physical interface where frames get dropped.
#!/bin/bash
INTERFACE=enp4s0
INTERFACE_IDX=`cat /sys/class/net/$INTERFACE/ifindex`
sudo ip link add dev veth1 type veth peer name veth2
sudo ip link set up $INTERFACE
sudo ip link set up veth1
sudo ip link set up veth2
cat << EOF > redirect.bpf.c
SEC("prog")
int redirect(struct xdp_md *ctx)
{
return bpf_redirect($INTERFACE_IDX, 0);
}
char _license[] SEC("license") = "GPL";
EOF
clang -O2 -g -Wall -target bpf -c redirect.bpf.c -o redirect.bpf.o
sudo ip link set veth2 xdp obj redirect.bpf.o
cat << EOF > pass.bpf.c
SEC("prog")
int pass(struct xdp_md *ctx)
{
return XDP_PASS;
}
char _license[] SEC("license") = "GPL";
EOF
clang -O2 -g -Wall -target bpf -c pass.bpf.c -o pass.bpf.o
sudo ip link set $INTERFACE xdp obj pass.bpf.o
cat << EOF > trafgen.cfg
{
/* Ethernet Header */
0xe8, 0x6a, 0x64, 0x41, 0xbf, 0x46,
0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF,
const16(ETH_P_IP),
/* IPv4 Header */
0b01000101, 0, # IPv4 version, IHL, TOS
const16(1028), # IPv4 total length (UDP length + 20 bytes (IP header))
const16(2), # IPv4 ident
0b01000000, 0, # IPv4 flags, fragmentation off
64, # IPv4 TTL
17, # Protocol UDP
csumip(14, 33), # IPv4 checksum
/* UDP Header */
10, 0, 1, 1, # IP Src - adapt as needed
10, 0, 1, 2, # IP Dest - adapt as needed
const16(6666), # UDP Src Port
const16(6666), # UDP Dest Port
const16(1008), # UDP length (UDP header 8 bytes + payload length)
csumudp(14, 34), # UDP checksum
/* Payload */
fill('W', 1000),
}
EOF
sudo trafgen -i trafgen.cfg -b3000MB -o veth1 --cpp
Google Brotli decoder - Remote Code Execution via compressed requests (Exploitation Check)
This control is the second step of the Patrowl response to CVE-2026-111497 (Node2Shell). It complements the first control of 22 October 2026, which focused on the Node.js runtime, and does not replace it.
Why a second control
CVE-2026-111497 is an out-of-bounds write in the Google Brotli decoder, the library that decompresses Brotli ("br") data. It was first published as a Node.js vulnerability, because Node.js bundles this decoder. Later publications showed that the flaw is in the library itself. Every product that embeds an affected version of the decoder is concerned, whatever its language or vendor. A public proof of concept demonstrates code execution.
Any server that decompresses request bodies sent with "Content-Encoding: br" exposes the decoder to unauthenticated attackers. Known cases include Express 5 and NestJS 11 on Node.js, Koa and Fastify setups, Bun, Envoy and Istio with request decompression enabled, and any application or reverse proxy that decodes Brotli request bodies with an affected library.
The flaw also works in the other direction. A malicious server can compromise an unpatched client that decodes a Brotli response, for example Node.js fetch(), Python clients (requests, httpx, aiohttp, Scrapy) with the Brotli or brotlicffi package, or libcurl builds with Brotli support.
What this control checks
Patrowl sends small, valid Brotli-compressed requests to each asset and observes whether the server decodes them. The check does not depend on the technology: it detects the behaviour, whatever the stack behind it. These requests are what any legitimate client could send. They never reach the vulnerable code path and cannot affect the availability of the service.
How to read the result
Potentially impacted means the asset decodes Brotli request bodies: the attack surface is exposed. It does not confirm that the asset is vulnerable. The version of the Brotli decoder in use is not visible from the outside.
This check covers applications that parse request bodies on their root path. A Not impacted result does not rule out exposure on other routes, nor on the client side. Checking the versions on the servers remains the only exhaustive verification.
Affected and fixed versions
Google Brotli 1.0.3 to 1.2.0 are affected, fixed in 1.0.10, 1.1.1 and 1.2.1. Fixed releases of the main products embedding it: Node.js 22.23.4, 24.22.1 and 26.12.1 (end-of-life lines 20.x and older and 25.x receive no fix), Bun 1.4.4, Envoy 1.37.8, 1.38.6, 1.39.3 and 1.40.0, Istio 1.29.9, 1.30.6 and 1.31.2, Python Brotli 1.2.1 and brotlicffi 1.2.1.0. Products that link against the system library depend on the Brotli package of the Linux distribution.
Recommendations
Update every component that embeds the Brotli decoder (only real fix). Start with the assets flagged by this control. Restart the processes after the update. Rebuild containers, single-executable applications and appliances that bundle an affected runtime or library.
Reduce the exposure until the update is deployed. Reject requests with "Content-Encoding: br" at the reverse proxy, load balancer or WAF, case-insensitively and including lists such as "gzip, br". On Envoy and Istio, disable request decompression for Brotli.
Review outbound calls. List the features that fetch content from servers you do not control, and patch the services that host them first.