Missing RCU read lock in Linux kernel xfrm packet reinjection
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
The Linux kernel xfrm subsystem is affected from 5.15.75 before 5.15.222, from 5.19.17 before 5.20 and from 6.0.3 before 6.1, among other branches. The xfrm_trans_reinject function runs deferred packets in a workqueue without an RCU read lock and without holding references on the device and dst. A local user with low privileges can trigger it, with high CVSS impact on confidentiality, integrity and availability.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-06
Description from the CNA
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: xfrm: add missing rcu_read_lock(), skb_dst_force() and dev_hold() for xfrm_trans_reinject() syzbot reported a suspicious RCU usage warning in ip6_pkt_drop(): WARNING: suspicious RCU usage in ip6_pkt_drop include/net/addrconf.h:389 suspicious rcu_dereference_check() usage! Call Trace: __in6_dev_get_safely include/net/addrconf.h:389 [inline] ip6_pkt_drop+0x596/0x610 net/ipv6/route.c:4620 ip6_pkt_discard+0x1c/0x30 net/ipv6/route.c:4651 xfrm_trans_reinject+0x324/0x630 net/xfrm/xfrm_input.c:806 process_one_work kernel/workqueue.c:3322 [inline] process_scheduled_works+0xa8e/0x14e0 kernel/workqueue.c:3405 worker_thread+0xa47/0xfb0 kernel/workqueue.c:3486 When commit 4f4920669d21 ("xfrm: Reinject transport-mode packets through workqueue") converted xfrm_trans_reinject from a tasklet to a workqueue, the reinjection loop ceased running in softirq context. Workqueue workers run in process context where local_bh_disable() does not enter an RCU read-side critical section under CONFIG_PREEMPT_RCU. Because finish callbacks (such as ip6_rcv_finish) expect to run under an RCU read lock (performing route lookups, l3mdev lookups, and accessing RCU-protected data structures), invoking them in workqueue context without rcu_read_lock() triggers RCU lockdep warnings. Furthermore, packets queued to the workqueue via xfrm_trans_queue_net() may carry non-refcounted (noref) dst entries (e.g. from ip_route_input_noref). Additionally, on netdevice unregistration, dst_dev_put() replaces dst->dev with blackhole_netdev, so dst entries do not keep skb->dev alive while queued in the workqueue. Fix these issues by: 1. Calling skb_dst_force(skb) in xfrm_trans_queue_net() while still in the caller's RCU section to ensure dst is reference-counted before queuing. 2. Holding a reference on skb->dev via dev_hold()/dev_put() across workqueue deferral so skb->dev remains valid during finish() callback processing. 3. Acquiring rcu_read_lock() around the finish callback invocation loop in xfrm_trans_reinject().
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
Remediation
Upgrade the Linux kernel to 5.15.222, 5.20, 6.1, 6.1.189, 6.6.158, 6.12.112, 6.18.54, 7.2.8 or 7.3, the fixed release for each branch. Red Hat lists no available fix for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10, Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 and Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 5, and no fix planned for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-06
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.15.222, 5.20, 6.1
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.15.222, 6.1.189, 6.6.158, 6.12.112, 6.18.54, 7.2.8, 7.3
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 9 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 5 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
Not affected: 3 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
- Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4
Timeline
- 2026-10-06 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-98369
- 2026-10-06 Alias added: GHSA-j7rh-wqhv-hc9p
- 2026-10-07 CVSS score added · CNA
- 2026-10-09 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-09 CVSS score added · Red Hat
- 2026-10-19 Fix available: Linux/[email protected] · CNA
- 2026-11-06 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
References
Other 7
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/41e47f1664be86c91326f0afe0504a1162d00907
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6601d91a85761f33351c71e04ec0bbd294ca07ce
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0cda8273265d30cac6423834fd7d4acb75f04fdb
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/68a317b4aec8ca1868a39d69e40f9e29baa4f40a
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6eb3b071be8e260543c604550c54dac66e6b174b
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/664fc0941df7c1918b2cd4de6ee00469ba77d8e4
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d2f5082f9e84653fa1a9e8aebaaff23e688f5e19
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Sources
- CVE-2026-98369 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-98369 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-j7rh-wqhv-hc9p · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-98369 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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