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TI-2026-18453 Aliases CVE-2026-23016GHSA-8h8q-4wvg-mhgm

inet: frags: drop fraglist conntrack references

Priority LOW 24Published · Updated

Key facts

Attack vector
Local
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
None
Attack complexity
Low
Impact type
—
Confidentiality · integrity · availability
None · None · High
Fix status
Fixed

Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · NVD. Fix status from CNA.

Summary

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: inet: frags: drop fraglist conntrack references Jakub added a warning in nf_conntrack_cleanup_net_list() to make debugging leaked skbs/conntrack references more obvious. syzbot reports this as triggering, and I can also reproduce this via ip_defrag.sh selftest: conntrack cleanup blocked for 60s WARNING: net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_core.c:2512 [..] conntrack clenups gets stuck because there are skbs with still hold nf_conn references via their frag_list. net.core.skb_defer_max=0 makes the hang disappear. Eric Dumazet points out that skb_release_head_state() doesn't follow the fraglist. ip_defrag.sh can only reproduce this problem since commit 6471658dc66c ("udp: use skb_attempt_defer_free()"), but AFAICS this problem could happen with TCP as well if pmtu discovery is off. The relevant problem path for udp is: 1. netns emits fragmented packets 2. nf_defrag_v6_hook reassembles them (in output hook) 3. reassembled skb is tracked (skb owns nf_conn reference) 4. ip6_output refragments 5. refragmented packets also own nf_conn reference (ip6_fragment calls ip6_copy_metadata()) 6. on input path, nf_defrag_v6_hook skips defragmentation: the fragments already have skb->nf_conn attached 7. skbs are reassembled via ipv6_frag_rcv() 8. skb_consume_udp -> skb_attempt_defer_free() -> skb ends up in pcpu freelist, but still has nf_conn reference. Possible solutions: 1 let defrag engine drop nf_conn entry, OR 2 export kick_defer_list_purge() and call it from the conntrack netns exit callback, OR 3 add skb_has_frag_list() check to skb_attempt_defer_free() 2 & 3 also solve ip_defrag.sh hang but share same drawback: Such reassembled skbs, queued to socket, can prevent conntrack module removal until userspace has consumed the packet. While both tcp and udp stack do call nf_reset_ct() before placing skb on socket queue, that function doesn't iterate frag_list skbs. Therefore drop nf_conn entries when they are placed in defrag queue. Keep the nf_conn entry of the first (offset 0) skb so that reassembled skb retains nf_conn entry for sake of TX path. Note that fixes tag is incorrect; it points to the commit introducing the 'ip_defrag.sh reproducible problem': no need to backport this patch to every stable kernel.

Why it matters now

EPSS 0.00152 4th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Fixed Linux (Linux): 6.18.6, 6.19

SSVC decision points

Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.

Affected products

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed inStatusSource
LinuxLinux6.18 and later6.18.6, 6.19Patch availableCNA
  • Linux VendorLinux Affected 6.18 and later Fixed in 6.18.6, 6.19 Patch available CNA

CPE configurations NVD · 10

CPEVersionsRoleVendor
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*6.18.1 to before 6.18.6VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.18:-:*:*:*:*:*:*6.18VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.19:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*6.19 rc1VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.19:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*6.19 rc2VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.19:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*6.19 rc3VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.19:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:*6.19 rc4VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.19:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:*6.19 rc5VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.19:rc6:*:*:*:*:*:*6.19 rc6VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.19:rc7:*:*:*:*:*:*6.19 rc7VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.19:rc8:*:*:*:*:*:*6.19 rc8VulnerableLinux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.18.1 to before 6.18.6 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.18:-:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.18 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.19:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.19 rc1 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.19:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.19 rc2 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.19:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.19 rc3 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.19:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.19 rc4 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.19:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.19 rc5 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.19:rc6:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.19 rc6 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.19:rc7:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.19 rc7 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.19:rc8:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.19 rc8 Vulnerable ·Linux

Remediation

  • Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 6.18.6, 6.19

Vendor assessments

Red Hat

Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →

Not affected: 5 products
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9

Timeline

  1. 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-23016
  2. 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-8h8q-4wvg-mhgm

References

  • TI-2025-26358 tls: fix handling of zero-length records on the rx_list KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
  • TI-2026-38352 netfilter: bridge: make ebt_snat ARP rewrite writable KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
  • TI-2013-05264 The (1) get_user and (2) put_user API functions in the Linux kernel before 3.5.5 on the… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
  • TI-2022-00125 Integer overflow in kernel KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
  • TI-2013-01864 The perf_swevent_init function in kernel/events/core.c in the Linux kernel before 3.8.9… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
  • TI-2021-05514 Heap Out-Of-Bounds Write in Netfilter IP6T_SO_SET_REPLACE KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.3
See all 15278 →

Sources