In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
netfilter: ctnetlink: fix use-after-free in ctnetlink_dump_exp_ct()
ctnetlink_dump_exp_ct() stores a conntrack pointer in cb->data for the
netlink dump callback ctnetlink_exp_ct_dump_table(), but drops the
conntrack reference immediately after netlink_dump_start(). When the
dump spans multiple rounds, the second recvmsg() triggers the dump
callback which dereferences the now-freed conntrack via nfct_help(ct),
leading to a use-after-free on ct->ext.
The bug is that the netlink_dump_control has no .start or .done
callbacks to manage the conntrack reference across dump rounds. Other
dump functions in the same file (e.g. ctnetlink_get_conntrack) properly
use .start/.done callbacks for this purpose.
Fix this by adding .start and .done callbacks that hold and release the
conntrack reference for the duration of the dump, and move the
nfct_help() call after the cb->args[0] early-return check in the dump
callback to avoid dereferencing ct->ext unnecessarily.
BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in ctnetlink_exp_ct_dump_table+0x4f/0x2e0
Read of size 8 at addr ffff88810597ebf0 by task ctnetlink_poc/133
CPU: 1 UID: 0 PID: 133 Comm: ctnetlink_poc Not tainted 7.0.0-rc2+ #3 PREEMPTLAZY
Call Trace:
<TASK>
ctnetlink_exp_ct_dump_table+0x4f/0x2e0
netlink_dump+0x333/0x880
netlink_recvmsg+0x3e2/0x4b0
? aa_sk_perm+0x184/0x450
sock_recvmsg+0xde/0xf0
Allocated by task 133:
kmem_cache_alloc_noprof+0x134/0x440
__nf_conntrack_alloc+0xa8/0x2b0
ctnetlink_create_conntrack+0xa1/0x900
ctnetlink_new_conntrack+0x3cf/0x7d0
nfnetlink_rcv_msg+0x48e/0x510
netlink_rcv_skb+0xc9/0x1f0
nfnetlink_rcv+0xdb/0x220
netlink_unicast+0x3ec/0x590
netlink_sendmsg+0x397/0x690
__sys_sendmsg+0xf4/0x180
Freed by task 0:
slab_free_after_rcu_debug+0xad/0x1e0
rcu_core+0x5c3/0x9c0
netfilter: ctnetlink: fix use-after-free in ctnetlink_dump_exp_ct()
ctnetlink_dump_exp_ct() stores a conntrack pointer in cb->data for the
netlink dump callback ctnetlink_exp_ct_dump_table(), but drops the
conntrack reference immediately after netlink_dump_start(). When the
dump spans multiple rounds, the second recvmsg() triggers the dump
callback which dereferences the now-freed conntrack via nfct_help(ct),
leading to a use-after-free on ct->ext.
The bug is that the netlink_dump_control has no .start or .done
callbacks to manage the conntrack reference across dump rounds. Other
dump functions in the same file (e.g. ctnetlink_get_conntrack) properly
use .start/.done callbacks for this purpose.
Fix this by adding .start and .done callbacks that hold and release the
conntrack reference for the duration of the dump, and move the
nfct_help() call after the cb->args[0] early-return check in the dump
callback to avoid dereferencing ct->ext unnecessarily.
BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in ctnetlink_exp_ct_dump_table+0x4f/0x2e0
Read of size 8 at addr ffff88810597ebf0 by task ctnetlink_poc/133
CPU: 1 UID: 0 PID: 133 Comm: ctnetlink_poc Not tainted 7.0.0-rc2+ #3 PREEMPTLAZY
Call Trace:
<TASK>
ctnetlink_exp_ct_dump_table+0x4f/0x2e0
netlink_dump+0x333/0x880
netlink_recvmsg+0x3e2/0x4b0
? aa_sk_perm+0x184/0x450
sock_recvmsg+0xde/0xf0
Allocated by task 133:
kmem_cache_alloc_noprof+0x134/0x440
__nf_conntrack_alloc+0xa8/0x2b0
ctnetlink_create_conntrack+0xa1/0x900
ctnetlink_new_conntrack+0x3cf/0x7d0
nfnetlink_rcv_msg+0x48e/0x510
netlink_rcv_skb+0xc9/0x1f0
nfnetlink_rcv+0xdb/0x220
netlink_unicast+0x3ec/0x590
netlink_sendmsg+0x397/0x690
__sys_sendmsg+0xf4/0x180
Freed by task 0:
slab_free_after_rcu_debug+0xad/0x1e0
rcu_core+0x5c3/0x9c0
Default status is the baseline for the product, each version can override it (e.g. patched versions marked unaffected).
| Vendor | Product | Default status | Versions | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | unaffected |
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| Linux | Linux | affected |
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Advisories
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Fixes
Solution
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Workaround
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References
History
Fri, 03 Apr 2026 16:30:00 +0000
| Type | Values Removed | Values Added |
|---|---|---|
| Description | In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netfilter: ctnetlink: fix use-after-free in ctnetlink_dump_exp_ct() ctnetlink_dump_exp_ct() stores a conntrack pointer in cb->data for the netlink dump callback ctnetlink_exp_ct_dump_table(), but drops the conntrack reference immediately after netlink_dump_start(). When the dump spans multiple rounds, the second recvmsg() triggers the dump callback which dereferences the now-freed conntrack via nfct_help(ct), leading to a use-after-free on ct->ext. The bug is that the netlink_dump_control has no .start or .done callbacks to manage the conntrack reference across dump rounds. Other dump functions in the same file (e.g. ctnetlink_get_conntrack) properly use .start/.done callbacks for this purpose. Fix this by adding .start and .done callbacks that hold and release the conntrack reference for the duration of the dump, and move the nfct_help() call after the cb->args[0] early-return check in the dump callback to avoid dereferencing ct->ext unnecessarily. BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in ctnetlink_exp_ct_dump_table+0x4f/0x2e0 Read of size 8 at addr ffff88810597ebf0 by task ctnetlink_poc/133 CPU: 1 UID: 0 PID: 133 Comm: ctnetlink_poc Not tainted 7.0.0-rc2+ #3 PREEMPTLAZY Call Trace: <TASK> ctnetlink_exp_ct_dump_table+0x4f/0x2e0 netlink_dump+0x333/0x880 netlink_recvmsg+0x3e2/0x4b0 ? aa_sk_perm+0x184/0x450 sock_recvmsg+0xde/0xf0 Allocated by task 133: kmem_cache_alloc_noprof+0x134/0x440 __nf_conntrack_alloc+0xa8/0x2b0 ctnetlink_create_conntrack+0xa1/0x900 ctnetlink_new_conntrack+0x3cf/0x7d0 nfnetlink_rcv_msg+0x48e/0x510 netlink_rcv_skb+0xc9/0x1f0 nfnetlink_rcv+0xdb/0x220 netlink_unicast+0x3ec/0x590 netlink_sendmsg+0x397/0x690 __sys_sendmsg+0xf4/0x180 Freed by task 0: slab_free_after_rcu_debug+0xad/0x1e0 rcu_core+0x5c3/0x9c0 | |
| Title | netfilter: ctnetlink: fix use-after-free in ctnetlink_dump_exp_ct() | |
| First Time appeared |
Linux
Linux linux Kernel |
|
| CPEs | cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | |
| Vendors & Products |
Linux
Linux linux Kernel |
|
| References |
|
|
Projects
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MITRE
Status: PUBLISHED
Assigner: Linux
Published:
Updated: 2026-04-03T15:15:39.041Z
Reserved: 2026-01-13T15:37:46.021Z
Link: CVE-2026-23458
Vulnrichment
No data.
NVD
Status : Received
Published: 2026-04-03T16:16:32.647
Modified: 2026-04-03T16:16:32.647
Link: CVE-2026-23458
Redhat
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OpenCVE Enrichment
No data.
Weaknesses
No weakness.