CVE-2026-23278: netfilter: nf_tables: always walk all pending catchall elements
Vulnerability summary
CVE-2026-23278 is a high (CVSS 7.8) Use After Free vulnerability in linux. EPSS estimates a 0.22% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 12.6% of scored vulnerabilities.
Not severe (CVSS 7.8, local access); no exploitation reported by the 5 checked sources
Source freshness unavailable
How is this decided?Advisory lineage
Upstream 0 · Downstream 82 · Related 88Timeline
- 20-03-2026PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
- 30-10-2026Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netfilter: nf_tables: always walk all pending catchall elements During transaction processing we might have more than one catchall element: 1 live catchall element and 1 pending element that is coming as part of the new batch. If the map holding the catchall elements is also going away, its required to toggle all catchall elements and not just the first viable candidate. Otherwise, we get: WARNING: ./include/net/netfilter/nf_tables.h:1281 at nft_data_release+0xb7/0xe0 [nf_tables], CPU#2: nft/1404 RIP: 0010:nft_data_release+0xb7/0xe0 [nf_tables] [..] __nft_set_elem_destroy+0x106/0x380 [nf_tables] nf_tables_abort_release+0x348/0x8d0 [nf_tables] nf_tables_abort+0xcf2/0x3ac0 [nf_tables] nfnetlink_rcv_batch+0x9c9/0x20e0 [..]
CVSS metrics
4 scores · 4 sources · 1 version- OSV · UbuntuEcosystem advisory · calculated7.8HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- OSV · DebianEcosystem advisory · calculated7.8HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- NVDNIST7.8HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS trend
Probability
0.22%
Chance of exploitation in the next 30 days
Percentile
13%
Versus all other CVEs
30-day change
Increase +0.06 pp
From 0.17% on 04-10-2026
Known exploited
Compare KEV catalogs
CISA KEVNot in the CISA KEV catalog.
ENISA CNWNot in the ENISA CNW catalog.
CIRCLNot in the CIRCL catalog.
Public exploits
0 foundNo public exploits indexed.
Weaknesses
CWE · root causeAffected systems
Known conditions: local access, low-privilege account, no user interaction (CVSS vector). Other conditions: not stated in public data.
Ubuntu153 products
- linuxAll versions (No fix recorded) | < 5.15.0-185.195 | < 6.8.0-134.134 | < 6.17.0-40.40
- linux-allwinner-5.19All versions (No fix recorded)
- linux-awsAll versions (No fix recorded) | < 5.15.0-1111.118 | < 6.8.0-1060.63 | < 6.17.0-1019.19
- linux-aws-5.0All versions (No fix recorded)
- linux-aws-5.11All versions (No fix recorded)
Linux2 products
- linux≥ 25aa2ad37c2162be1c0bc4fe6397f7e4c13f00f8, < ae8f3cedc5f5653a5bed45c5ed016fe156e2af55 | ≥ d60be2da67d172aecf866302c91ea11533eca4d9, < c4d4e86fda707d89eaba80e343321737375f8582 | ≥ 628bd3e49cba1c066228e23d71a852c23e26da73, < 4830fb44d12f586f3f544609e086933649a9175a | ≥ 628bd3e49cba1c066228e23d71a852c23e26da73, < eb0948fa13298212c5f8b30ee48efdae4389ab09 | ≥ 628bd3e49cba1c066228e23d71a852c23e26da73, < de47a88c6b807910f05703fb6605f7efdaa11417 | ≥ 628bd3e49cba1c066228e23d71a852c23e26da73, < 77c26b5056d693ffe5e9f040e946251cdb55ae55 | ≥ 628bd3e49cba1c066228e23d71a852c23e26da73, < 7cb9a23d7ae40a702577d3d8bacb7026f04ac2a9 | bc9f791d2593f17e39f87c6e2b3a36549a3705b1 | 3c7ec098e3b588434a8b07ea9b5b36f04cef1f50 | a136b7942ad2a50de708f76ea299ccb45ac7a7f9 | dc7cdf8cbcbf8b13de1df93f356ec04cdeef5c41 | ≥ 5.15.121, < 5.15.224 | ≥ 6.1.36, < 6.1.177 | ≥ 4.19.316, < 4.20 | ≥ 5.4.262, < 5.5 | ≥ 5.10.188, < 5.11 | ≥ 6.3.10, < 6.4 | 6.4
- linux_kernel≥ 4.19.316, < 4.20 | ≥ 5.4.262, < 5.5 | ≥ 5.10.188, < 5.11 | ≥ 5.15.121, < 5.16 | ≥ 6.1.36, < 6.2 | ≥ 6.3.10, < 6.4 | ≥ 6.4.1, < 6.12.78 | ≥ 6.13, < 6.18.19 | ≥ 6.19, < 6.19.9 | 7.0:rc1 | 7.0:rc2 | 7.0:rc3
Debian1 product
- linux< 6.1.177-1 | < 6.12.85-1 | < 6.19.10-1
3 vendors · 156 products
