CVE-2026-53212
HIGH 7.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netfilter: nft_tunnel: fix use-after-free on object destroy nft_tunnel_obj_destroy() calls metadata_dst_free() which directly kfree()s the metadata_dst, ignoring the dst_entry refcount. Packets that took a reference via dst_hold() in nft_tunnel_obj_eval() and are still queued (e.g. in a netem qdisc) are left with a dangling pointer. When these packets are eventually dequeued, dst_release() operates on freed memory. Replace metadata_dst_free() with dst_release() so the metadata_dst is freed only after all references are dropped. The dst subsystem already handles metadata_dst cleanup in dst_destroy() when DST_METADATA is set.
Severe if exploited (CVSS 7.8), but no known exploitation and low modeled probability. Patch on a normal cadence.
Exploitation likelihood
0.1%chance of exploitation in 30 days · 3rd percentile
Impact if exploited
7.8CVSS 3.1 · HIGH
- ConfidentialityHigh
- IntegrityHigh
- AvailabilityHigh
What an attacker needs
- ⚠Access: Requires local access to the host
- ⚠Privileges: Requires a low-privilege account
- ✓User interaction: No user interaction needed
- ✓Complexity: No special conditions — reliably repeatable
✓ lowers the bar for an attacker · ⚠ raises it
Weakness (CWE)
Not classified.
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
References
Technical & other
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/349df61526d2e39decc685d246202e3e284cfe05
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/55b79b1ae42372012413ce0413181d26679b17ef
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5e9ee18b27fde88cb6148202b33916c66693fe82
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8767fe4079affa74314d7eb3220e700150289842
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fda6573a46ad24f35348e024905ee5bdf729797e
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/941d7394efda5e054e2d6f3e0dd0f6a9ba19aaa3
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f9a0e4b61054cde89a2a77845293c726cc07cc43
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c32b26aaa2f9216520a38b3f4bfeec846eb3eb8a