CVE Catalog

CVE-2026-98442

HighCVSS 7.8
Published: Updated: Translated: NVD NIST

Exploitation Probability (EPSS)

Low risk
0.17%

6th percentile - higher than 6% of all known CVEs

Summary

In the Linux kernel, net/sched act_ct stores a raw pointer to the extensions area in the expectations list before the connection is confirmed. Later *_ext_add() calls reallocate that area, leaving an invalid pointer that is accessed when removing the expectation, causing a use-after-free.

Risk Assessment

A use-after-free in the conntrack/act_ct path may be exploited, leading to kernel crashes or potentially code execution.

Recommendation

Update the Linux kernel to a version containing the net/sched act_ct fix and restrict unauthorized manipulation of tc rules.

Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel

See all
Original NVD description (English source)

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/sched: act_ct: fix helper UAF due to extensions realloc While calling the helpers, a raw pointer to the extensions area is wired into expectations list: -> nf_ct_helper() -> helper->help() -> nf_ct_expect_related_report() -> nf_ct_expect_insert() -> hlist_add_head_rcu(&exp->lnode, &master_help->expectations) In case the connection is not confirmed yet, more extensions can be added afterwards with *_ext_add() calls reallocating the extension space and leaving the now invalid pointer in the expectations list that is later accessed while removing the expectation. Make sure that helpers are called at the end after all the other extensions are already added. Note that the helper rejection now leaves the mark and labels set, but that's not different from how the NAT was handled before or how the mark and the labels were handled on confirmation failure. And there are no atomicity guarantees provided by the API anyway.

Vulnerability data from NVD (NIST) · CISA KEV · EPSS