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TI-2026-38435 Aliases CVE-2026-53349GHSA-qf7g-7vpq-493r

netfilter: nf_conntrack: destroy stale expectfn expectations on unregister

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
Partial Red Hat: 5 without a fix

Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · NVD. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.

Summary

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netfilter: nf_conntrack: destroy stale expectfn expectations on unregister NAT helpers such as nf_nat_h323 store a raw pointer to module text in exp->expectfn (e.g. ip_nat_q931_expect). nf_ct_helper_expectfn_unregister() only unlinks the callback descriptor and never walks the expectation table, so an expectation pending at module removal survives with a dangling exp->expectfn into freed module text. When the expected connection arrives, init_conntrack() invokes exp->expectfn(), now a stale pointer into the unloaded module. Reproduced on a KASAN build by loading the H.323 helpers, creating a Q.931 expectation, unloading nf_nat_h323, then connecting to the expected port: Oops: int3: 0000 [#1] SMP KASAN NOPTI RIP: 0010:0xffffffffa06102d1 init_conntrack.isra.0 (net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_core.c:1862) nf_conntrack_in (net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_core.c:2049) ipv4_conntrack_local (net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_proto.c:223) nf_hook_slow (net/netfilter/core.c:619) __ip_local_out (net/ipv4/ip_output.c:120) __tcp_transmit_skb (net/ipv4/tcp_output.c:1715) tcp_connect (net/ipv4/tcp_output.c:4374) tcp_v4_connect (net/ipv4/tcp_ipv4.c:345) __sys_connect (net/socket.c:2167) Modules linked in: nf_conntrack_h323 [last unloaded: nf_nat_h323] Reaching the dangling state requires CAP_SYS_MODULE in the initial user namespace to remove a NAT helper that still has live expectations, so this is a robustness fix; leaving an expectation pointing at freed text is wrong regardless. Add nf_ct_helper_expectfn_destroy(), which walks the expectation table and drops every expectation whose ->expectfn matches the descriptor being torn down. Call it from each NAT helper's exit path after the existing RCU grace period, so no expectation outlives the code it points at and no extra synchronize_rcu() is introduced. With the fix, the same reproducer runs to completion without the Oops.

Why it matters now

Exploitation None reported CISA SSVC · not in CISA KEV
EPSS 0.0012 1st percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Partial Linux (Linux): 6.1.176, 6.6.143, 6.12.94 +3Red Hat: 5 without a fix

SSVC decision points

CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3

Exploitation
None
Automatable
No
Technical impact
Partial

The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.

Affected products

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed inStatusSource
LinuxLinux2.6.20 and later6.1.176, 6.6.143, 6.12.94, 6.18.36, 7.0.13, 7.1Patch availableCNA
  • Linux VendorLinux Affected 2.6.20 and later Fixed in 6.1.176, 6.6.143, 6.12.94, 6.18.36, 7.0.13, 7.1 Patch available CNA

CPE configurations NVD · 8

CPEVersionsRoleVendor
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*2.6.20 to before 6.1.176; 6.2 to before 6.6.143; 6.7 to before 6.12.94; 6.13 to before 6.18.36; 6.19 to before 7.0.13VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.1:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*7.1 rc1VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.1:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*7.1 rc2VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.1:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*7.1 rc3VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.1:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:*7.1 rc4VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.1:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:*7.1 rc5VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.1:rc6:*:*:*:*:*:*7.1 rc6VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.1:rc7:*:*:*:*:*:*7.1 rc7VulnerableLinux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 2.6.20 to before 6.1.176; 6.2 to before 6.6.143; 6.7 to before 6.12.94; 6.13 to before 6.18.36; 6.19 to before 7.0.13 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.1:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.1 rc1 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.1:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.1 rc2 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.1:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.1 rc3 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.1:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.1 rc4 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.1:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.1 rc5 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.1:rc6:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.1 rc6 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.1:rc7:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.1 rc7 Vulnerable ·Linux

Remediation

  • Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 6.1.176, 6.6.143, 6.12.94, 6.18.36, 7.0.13, 7.1

Vendor assessments

Red Hat

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

ProductStatusPlan or fix
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10AffectedNo fix yet: Fix deferred
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6AffectedNo fix planned: Out of support scope
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7AffectedNo fix yet: Fix deferred
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8AffectedNo fix yet: Fix deferred
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9AffectedNo fix yet: Fix deferred

Timeline

  1. 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-53349
  2. 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-qf7g-7vpq-493r
  3. 2026-11-06 CVSS score changed · Red Hat
  4. 2026-11-06 CISA SSVC decision points changed

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