Vulnerability-Lookup

GHSA-CX4H-XJM7-PQXP

Vulnerability from github – Published: 2026-08-22 18:30 – Updated: 2026-08-25 06:31

Details

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

netfilter: nf_flow_table: drop existing skb dst before skb_dst_set_noref()

Incoming skbs passing through netfilter flowtable offload hooks (or XFRM offload path) might already carry a ref-counted dst_entry assigned during earlier RX or routing steps.

Calling skb_dst_set_noref() when skb already holds a ref-counted dst overwrites skb->_skb_refdst, leaking the previous dst_entry reference count and triggering a DEBUG_NET_WARN_ON_ONCE assertion in skb_dst_check_unset():

WARNING: at skb_dst_check_unset include/linux/skbuff.h:1170 WARNING: at skb_dst_set_noref include/linux/skbuff.h:1234 WARNING: at nf_flow_offload_ip_hook+0xf6c/0x2b60 net/netfilter/nf_flow_table_ip.c:864

Drop any existing dst_entry reference with skb_dst_drop(skb) before setting the non-referenced flowtable destination.

Severity

7.5 (High)


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

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{
  "affected": [],
  "aliases": [
    "CVE-2026-74695"
  ],
  "database_specific": {
    "cwe_ids": [],
    "github_reviewed": false,
    "github_reviewed_at": null,
    "nvd_published_at": "2026-08-22T16:16:44Z",
    "severity": "HIGH"
  },
  "details": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nnetfilter: nf_flow_table: drop existing skb dst before skb_dst_set_noref()\n\nIncoming skbs passing through netfilter flowtable offload hooks (or XFRM\noffload path) might already carry a ref-counted dst_entry assigned during\nearlier RX or routing steps.\n\nCalling skb_dst_set_noref() when skb already holds a ref-counted dst\noverwrites skb-\u003e_skb_refdst, leaking the previous dst_entry reference\ncount and triggering a DEBUG_NET_WARN_ON_ONCE assertion in\nskb_dst_check_unset():\n\n  WARNING: at skb_dst_check_unset include/linux/skbuff.h:1170\n  WARNING: at skb_dst_set_noref include/linux/skbuff.h:1234\n  WARNING: at nf_flow_offload_ip_hook+0xf6c/0x2b60 net/netfilter/nf_flow_table_ip.c:864\n\nDrop any existing dst_entry reference with skb_dst_drop(skb) before\nsetting the non-referenced flowtable destination.",
  "id": "GHSA-cx4h-xjm7-pqxp",
  "modified": "2026-08-25T06:31:28Z",
  "published": "2026-08-22T18:30:29Z",
  "references": [
    {
      "type": "ADVISORY",
      "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-74695"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/12afa450a6a6c0cce2c42b7545a9958f62d8a00c"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/538e67e8c7889cf5f93951f5309d1bcb41f86036"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8aecf0bbcc72605592134c917c222207d8f63ab0"
    }
  ],
  "schema_version": "1.4.0",
  "severity": [
    {
      "score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H",
      "type": "CVSS_V3"
    }
  ]
}

CVE-2026-74695 (GCVE-0-2026-74695)

Vulnerability from cvelistv5 – Published: 2026-08-22 15:32 – Updated: 2026-08-25 05:41

Title

netfilter: nf_flow_table: drop existing skb dst before skb_dst_set_noref()

Summary

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netfilter: nf_flow_table: drop existing skb dst before skb_dst_set_noref() Incoming skbs passing through netfilter flowtable offload hooks (or XFRM offload path) might already carry a ref-counted dst_entry assigned during earlier RX or routing steps. Calling skb_dst_set_noref() when skb already holds a ref-counted dst overwrites skb->_skb_refdst, leaking the previous dst_entry reference count and triggering a DEBUG_NET_WARN_ON_ONCE assertion in skb_dst_check_unset(): WARNING: at skb_dst_check_unset include/linux/skbuff.h:1170 WARNING: at skb_dst_set_noref include/linux/skbuff.h:1234 WARNING: at nf_flow_offload_ip_hook+0xf6c/0x2b60 net/netfilter/nf_flow_table_ip.c:864 Drop any existing dst_entry reference with skb_dst_drop(skb) before setting the non-referenced flowtable destination.

Severity

7.5 (High)


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

Assigner

Linux mitre root

References

3 references

URL	Tags
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/12afa450a6a6c0cce…
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/538e67e8c7889cf5f…
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8aecf0bbcc7260559…

Impacted products

2 products

Vendor	Product	Version
Linux	Linux	Affected: 2a79fd3908acd88e6cb0e620c314d7b1fee56a02 , < 12afa450a6a6c0cce2c42b7545a9958f62d8a00c (git) Affected: 2a79fd3908acd88e6cb0e620c314d7b1fee56a02 , < 538e67e8c7889cf5f93951f5309d1bcb41f86036 (git) Affected: 2a79fd3908acd88e6cb0e620c314d7b1fee56a02 , < 8aecf0bbcc72605592134c917c222207d8f63ab0 (git) Affected: b4b1adf2e66ecc7125c4117e7aad9ff61e2cfd27 (git) Affected: 209dedf806d31095968f54323dbe62525b077b33 (git) Affected: 4.16.15 , < 4.17 (semver) Affected: 4.17.1 , < 4.18 (semver)
Linux	Linux	Affected: 4.18 Unaffected: 0 , < 4.18 (semver) Unaffected: 6.18.45 , ≤ 6.18.* (semver) Unaffected: 7.1.9 , ≤ 7.1.* (semver) Unaffected: 7.2 , ≤ * (original_commit_for_fix)

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{
  "containers": {
    "cna": {
      "affected": [
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          "programFiles": [
            "net/netfilter/nf_flow_table_ip.c"
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              "status": "unaffected",
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            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "cpeApplicability": [
        {
          "nodes": [
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              "cpeMatch": [
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                },
                {
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      "descriptions": [
        {
          "lang": "en",
          "value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nnetfilter: nf_flow_table: drop existing skb dst before skb_dst_set_noref()\n\nIncoming skbs passing through netfilter flowtable offload hooks (or XFRM\noffload path) might already carry a ref-counted dst_entry assigned during\nearlier RX or routing steps.\n\nCalling skb_dst_set_noref() when skb already holds a ref-counted dst\noverwrites skb-\u003e_skb_refdst, leaking the previous dst_entry reference\ncount and triggering a DEBUG_NET_WARN_ON_ONCE assertion in\nskb_dst_check_unset():\n\n  WARNING: at skb_dst_check_unset include/linux/skbuff.h:1170\n  WARNING: at skb_dst_set_noref include/linux/skbuff.h:1234\n  WARNING: at nf_flow_offload_ip_hook+0xf6c/0x2b60 net/netfilter/nf_flow_table_ip.c:864\n\nDrop any existing dst_entry reference with skb_dst_drop(skb) before\nsetting the non-referenced flowtable destination."
        }
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            "version": "3.1"
          },
          "scenarios": [
            {
              "lang": "en",
              "value": "AV:N - The bug fires in nf_flow_offload_ip_hook on NF_NETDEV_INGRESS when remotely sourced IPv4/IPv6 packets matching an offloaded flow are received on nftables flowtable-bound interfaces, not via netlink configuration APIs.\nAC:L - Once a flowtable ingress hook and offloaded TCP/UDP flow exist, an attacker can reliably send matching traffic that reaches FLOW_OFFLOAD_XMIT_NEIGH or the XFRM offload path with a ref-counted skb dst; syzbot reproduced this without uncontrollable races.\nPR:N - Exploitation requires only sending network traffic through an already deployed nftables flow-offload path on an ingress device; no local account, authentication, or CAP_NET_ADMIN on the victim is needed to trigger the leak.\nUI:N - No victim interaction is required beyond normal network delivery; packets are processed automatically in softirq on the netdev ingress netfilter hook without opening files or mounting filesystems.\nS:U - Impact is confined to kernel refcount imbalance and availability degradation on the affected host; this is standard in-kernel compromise territory, not a VM escape, IOMMU bypass, or other cross-authority scope change.\nC:N - The flaw leaks a dst_entry reference by overwriting skb-\u003e_skb_refdst without releasing the prior dst; it does not expose kernel memory or provide an arbitrary read primitive.\nI:N - No unauthorized data modification occurs; the skb is forwarded using the intended flowtable destination while the previous dst reference is orphaned, not corrupted into a controllable write primitive.\nA:H - Each matching packet leaks a dst_entry refcount on the flowtable fast path, enabling sustained unauthenticated remote memory exhaustion on high-volume routers; CONFIG_DEBUG_NET builds also emit WARN_ON_ONCE during the overwrite."
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "providerMetadata": {
        "dateUpdated": "2026-08-25T05:41:38.836Z",
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        "shortName": "Linux"
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          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/538e67e8c7889cf5f93951f5309d1bcb41f86036"
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        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8aecf0bbcc72605592134c917c222207d8f63ab0"
        }
      ],
      "title": "netfilter: nf_flow_table: drop existing skb dst before skb_dst_set_noref()",
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    "datePublished": "2026-08-22T15:32:57.756Z",
    "dateReserved": "2026-08-15T05:44:03.926Z",
    "dateUpdated": "2026-08-25T05:41:38.836Z",
    "state": "PUBLISHED"
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}

Sightings

Author	Source	Type	Date	Other

Nomenclature

Seen: The vulnerability was mentioned, discussed, or observed by the user.
Confirmed: The vulnerability has been validated from an analyst's perspective.
Published Proof of Concept: A public proof of concept is available for this vulnerability.
Exploited: The vulnerability was observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
Patched: The vulnerability was observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.
Not exploited: The vulnerability was not observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
Not confirmed: The user expressed doubt about the validity of the vulnerability.
Not patched: The vulnerability was not observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.

Detection rules are retrieved from Rulezet.

The MITRE ATT&CK techniques below are AI-generated suggestions, inferred from the description of the vulnerability by the CIRCL/vulnerability-attack-technique-classification-roberta-base model, served locally by ML-Gateway. They have not been verified by an analyst and are provided for guidance only.
The approach is described in our paper Mapping CVEs to MITRE ATT&CK Techniques: A Curated Gold-Set Classifier and the Limits of LLM-Assisted Label Expansion.
Browse all ATT&CK techniques and the vulnerabilities related to each.

Related by attack behaviour

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