← Vulnerability feed

Vulnerability record · CVE-2026-23231 · published 4 March 2026

CVE-2026-23231: Linux kernel use after free vulnerability

Linux · Linux Kernel

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.

7.8 CVSS 3.1 High EPSS 0.79% · top 45.6% CWE-416 · Use after free
7.8CVSS 3.1 base score
0.79%EPSS exploitation probability, 30 days
NoNot in CISA KEV
1Affected product versions listed by NVD
9References
14 Jul 2026Last modified by NVD

Description

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.

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected products

1 vulnerable configurations from NVD's CPE data, grouped by vendor and product.

References

LinkTags
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2a6586ecfa4ce1413daaafee250d2590e05f1a33 Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2f9a4ffeb763aec822f8ff3d1e82202d27d46d4b Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7017745068a9068904e1e7a1b170a5785647cc81 Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/71e99ee20fc3f662555118cf1159443250647533 Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/dbd0af8083dd201f07c49110b2ee93710abdff28 Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f3fe58ce37926a10115ede527d59b91bcc05400a Patch
https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-019113.html
https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-082556.html
https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-253495.html

Track CVE-2026-23231 inside VULONE

Watch it alongside the ransomware crews, C2 infrastructure and forum chatter that reference it, query it through the API and pull it into your SIEM over TAXII.

Start free Open in platform

Related vulnerabilities

Same products first, then exploited flaws of the same weakness class.

9.8CVE-2025-39682Linux kernel TLS zero-length record handling flaw on rx_listThe Linux kernel TLS receive path mishandles zero-length records that arrive from the rx_list, breaking the assumption that a record type change cann…KEVEPSS 2.9%analysed8.8CVE-2026-53266Linux kernel ebtables SNAT out-of-bounds write in ARP rewriteThe ebtables SNAT target rewrites the ARP sender hardware address via skb_store_bits() without first making that range writable. When the ARP SHA byt…KEVEPSS 0.65%analysed8.8CVE-2023-3079Google Chrome V8 type confusion enables heap corruptionCVE-2023-3079 is a type confusion flaw in the V8 JavaScript engine in Google Chrome before 114.0.5735.110. A crafted HTML page can trigger the confus…KEVEPSS 32%analysed8.8CVE-2013-6282Linux kernel ARM get_user/put_user missing address validationThe get_user and put_user API functions in the Linux kernel before 3.5.5 on v6k and v7 ARM platforms fail to validate certain addresses, allowing cra…KEVEPSS 40%analysed8.4CVE-2022-0185Linux Kernel Filesystem Context Heap Buffer OverflowThe legacy_parse_param function in the Linux kernel's Filesystem Context functionality fails to properly verify supplied parameter lengths, causing a…KEVEPSS 25%analysed8.4CVE-2013-2094Linux Kernel perf_swevent_init Integer Type Flaw Enables Local Privilege EscalationThe perf_swevent_init function in kernel/events/core.c in the Linux kernel before 3.8.9 uses an incorrect integer data type, allowing a local user to…KEVEPSS 48%analysed7.8CVE-2026-53362Linux kernel IPv6 UDP paged allocation out-of-bounds write__ip6_append_data() in the Linux kernel mis-accounts fraggap on the paged-allocation path, leaving the linear skb area undersized while pagedlen is o…KEVEPSS 0.71%analysed7.8CVE-2026-31431Linux kernel algif_aead in-place crypto operation flawThe Linux kernel's algif_aead AF_ALG AEAD interface operated in-place on buffers that come from different mappings, a flaw the fix resolves by revert…KEVEPSS 3.4%analysed

Source: NIST National Vulnerability Database (record CVE-2026-23231), CISA KEV, FIRST EPSS (scores of 2026-09-26). This page is refreshed as NVD updates the record.