CVE-2026-23231: netfilter: nf_tables: fix use-after-free in nf_tables_addchain()
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.
Metrics
- CVSS v3.1
- 7.8
- Severity
- HIGH
- Fixed in
- 0
- Affected Products
- 2
Fix available
- Linux / Linux< 2a6586ecfa4ce1413daaafee250d2590e05f1a33 (from 91c7b38dc9f0de4f7f444b796d14476bc12df7bc) · < 7017745068a9068904e1e7a1b170a5785647cc81 (from 91c7b38dc9f0de4f7f444b796d14476bc12df7bc) · < f3fe58ce37926a10115ede527d59b91bcc05400a (from 91c7b38dc9f0de4f7f444b796d14476bc12df7bc) · < dbd0af8083dd201f07c49110b2ee93710abdff28 (from 91c7b38dc9f0de4f7f444b796d14476bc12df7bc) · < 2f9a4ffeb763aec822f8ff3d1e82202d27d46d4b (from 91c7b38dc9f0de4f7f444b796d14476bc12df7bc) · < 71e99ee20fc3f662555118cf1159443250647533 (from 91c7b38dc9f0de4f7f444b796d14476bc12df7bc)
- Linux / Linux3.16Fixed in 0, 6.1.165, 6.6.128, 6.12.75, 6.18.14, 6.19.4, 7.0
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H