CVE-2026-23231

Summary

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

netfilter: nf_tables: fix use-after-free in nf_tables_addchain()

nf_tables_addchain() publishes the chain to table->chains via list_add_tail_rcu() (in nft_chain_add()) before registering hooks. If nf_tables_register_hook() then fails, the error path calls nft_chain_del() (list_del_rcu()) followed by nf_tables_chain_destroy() with no RCU grace period in between.

This creates two use-after-free conditions:

  1. Control-plane: nf_tables_dump_chains() traverses table->chains under rcu_read_lock(). A concurrent dump can still be walking the chain when the error path frees it.

  2. Packet path: for NFPROTO_INET, nf_register_net_hook() briefly installs the IPv4 hook before IPv6 registration fails. Packets entering nft_do_chain() via the transient IPv4 hook can still be dereferencing chain->blob_gen_X when the error path frees the chain.

Add synchronize_rcu() between nft_chain_del() and the chain destroy so that all RCU readers – both dump threads and in-flight packet evaluation – have finished before the chain is freed.

Affected Software

VendorProductVersion RangeStatus
LinuxLinux91c7b38dc9f0de4f7f444b796d14476bc12df7bc < 2a6586ecfa4ce1413daaafee250d2590e05f1a33affected
LinuxLinux91c7b38dc9f0de4f7f444b796d14476bc12df7bc < 7017745068a9068904e1e7a1b170a5785647cc81affected
LinuxLinux91c7b38dc9f0de4f7f444b796d14476bc12df7bc < f3fe58ce37926a10115ede527d59b91bcc05400aaffected
LinuxLinux91c7b38dc9f0de4f7f444b796d14476bc12df7bc < dbd0af8083dd201f07c49110b2ee93710abdff28affected
LinuxLinux91c7b38dc9f0de4f7f444b796d14476bc12df7bc < 2f9a4ffeb763aec822f8ff3d1e82202d27d46d4baffected
LinuxLinux91c7b38dc9f0de4f7f444b796d14476bc12df7bc < 71e99ee20fc3f662555118cf1159443250647533affected
LinuxLinux3.16affected
LinuxLinux0 < 3.16unaffected
LinuxLinux6.1.165 <= 6.1.*unaffected
LinuxLinux6.6.128 <= 6.6.*unaffected
LinuxLinux6.12.75 <= 6.12.*unaffected
LinuxLinux6.18.14 <= 6.18.*unaffected
LinuxLinux6.19.4 <= 6.19.*unaffected
LinuxLinux7.0 <= *unaffected

Weaknesses

ADP Enrichment

Additional References

CISA ADP Vulnrichment

  • SSVC:
  • Exploitation: none
    • Automatable: no
    • Technical Impact: total

References