netfilter: cttimeout: detach dataplane timeout policy and repurpose refcount
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 5 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: cttimeout: detach dataplane timeout policy and repurpose refcount Add a refcount for struct nf_ct_timeout which is used by ct extension to set the custom ct timeout policy, this tells us that the ct timeout is being used by a conntrack entry. When the last conntrack entry drops the refcount on the ct timeout, the ct timeout is released. Remove the refcount for control plane which controls if the ruleset refers to the timeout policy. After this update, it is possible to remove the ct timeout policy from nfnetlink_cttimeout immediately. This is for simplicity not to handle two refcounts on a single object. Remove nf_queue_nf_hook_drop(): a packet sitting in nfqueue will just hold a reference to the nf_ct_timeout object until packet is reinjected, since this is part of the ct extension, this will be released by the time the conntrack is freed. nf_ct_untimeout() is still called to clean up in a best effort basis: the ct timeout on existing entries gets removed when the ct timeout goes away, but as long as the iptables ruleset still refers to the ct timeout through a template, new conntracks may keep attaching it and extend its lifetime until the rule is removed. nf_ct_untimeout() is not called anymore from module removal path, this is unlikely to find timeouts give module refcount is bumped, and the new refcount already tracks the ct timeout policy use so it is released when unused.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Total
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
Remediation
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 6.1.191, 6.6.160, 6.12.112, 6.18.53, 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 6 | Affected | No fix planned: Out of support scope |
| 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 |
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-74347
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-7mmw-w232-r226
- 2026-10-03 Fix available: Linux/[email protected], Linux/Linux@b2e84317f334d834fb06c9b340ea465f398b6d4f · CNA
- 2026-10-03 1 new reference · CNA
- 2026-10-16 CISA SSVC decision points changed
- 2026-10-21 Fix available: Linux/Linux@1241e459a1bd17044fa6bbb68f491ab5543c3a1b, Linux/[email protected] · CNA
- 2026-10-21 1 new reference · CNA
- 2026-10-30 Fix available: Linux/[email protected], Linux/Linux@b512f4bacb73219bd525b5189a26143cabd7b38c · CNA
- 2026-10-30 1 new reference · CNA
References
Other 6
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b512f4bacb73219bd525b5189a26143cabd7b38c
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1241e459a1bd17044fa6bbb68f491ab5543c3a1b
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b2e84317f334d834fb06c9b340ea465f398b6d4f
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/44583fd5735cb0bdf3bfe11b1e51504ce387bdb7
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9aeb0dcfeb460d33d61d434148b51103ab1d2013
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7d6a9cdb8d3a51d9cfe546a09a518ab3d2671549
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Sources
- CVE-2026-74347 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-74347 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-7mmw-w232-r226 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-74347 · 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