netfilter: ip6tables: mark malformed IPv6 extension headers for hotdrop
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · None
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 4 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netfilter: ip6tables: mark malformed IPv6 extension headers for hotdrop The ah, hbh and rt matches check that the fixed extension header is present, then use the header length field to derive the advertised extension header length for matching. For the ah match, add the missing advertised-length check. For hbh and rt, update the existing advertised-length checks. In all three cases, set hotdrop to true before returning false when the advertised extension header length exceeds the available skb data. Returning false treats the packet as a rule mismatch. Set hotdrop to true and drop malformed packets so they cannot bypass rules intended to drop packets with these IPv6 extension headers.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- Yes
- Technical impact
- Total
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 2.6.12 and later | 5.10.261, 5.15.212, 6.1.178, 6.6.145, 6.12.97, 6.18.40, 7.1.5, 7.2 | Patch available | CNA |
- Linux VendorLinux Affected 2.6.12 and later Fixed in 5.10.261, 5.15.212, 6.1.178, 6.6.145, 6.12.97, 6.18.40, 7.1.5, 7.2 Patch available CNA
Remediation
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.10.261, 5.15.212, 6.1.178, 6.6.145, 6.12.97, 6.18.40, 7.1.5, 7.2
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
Not affected: 1 product
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-72348
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-mf85-825j-jwwx
- 2026-10-16 CISA SSVC decision points changed
- 2026-10-31 EPSS moved to the 50th–90th percentile
References
Other 8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f16d856b6af5fd0e7cb0b0212f70825b599ef72e
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fc416870100cf16d5b9495199355a679c3a02d48
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f775fcf384b06f35b612f78fa5601fee99eb6513
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2fd89a50a9783eed8ed23866b11c8b3d8779a7a8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3578b6d92a5b1e603ae6e8c8f5538a709f03aba4
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3d441be2b1c5e98167302fa1c7b61960a067b112
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d5e39e5eb6b30bc4a3bb7aba54c293cf36a806c7
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/43ccc20b5a733226417832cf16ef45322e594990
More Linux vulnerabilities
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- TI-2021-02452 Incorrect authorization in Ubuntu linux kernel KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
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- 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
Sources
- CVE-2026-72348 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-72348 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-mf85-825j-jwwx · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-72348 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences