CVE-2026-31663: xfrm: hold dev ref until after transport_finish NF_HOOK

Vulnerability summary

CVE-2026-31663 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 13% of scored vulnerabilities.

Timeline

1. 24-04-2026
   PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
2. 30-10-2026
   Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: xfrm: hold dev ref until after transport_finish NF_HOOK After async crypto completes, xfrm_input_resume() calls dev_put() immediately on re-entry before the skb reaches transport_finish. The skb->dev pointer is then used inside NF_HOOK and its okfn, which can race with device teardown. Remove the dev_put from the async resumption entry and instead drop the reference after the NF_HOOK call in transport_finish, using a saved device pointer since NF_HOOK may consume the skb. This covers NF_DROP, NF_QUEUE and NF_STOLEN paths that skip the okfn. For non-transport exits (decaps, gro, drop) and secondary async return points, release the reference inline when async is set.

• CWE-416Use After FreeThe product reuses or references memory after it has been freed. At some point afterward, the memory may be allocated again and saved in another pointer, while the original pointer references a location somewhere within the new allocation. Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory "belongs" to the code that operates on the new pointer.
• CWE-826Premature Release of Resource During Expected LifetimeThe product releases a resource that is still intended to be used by itself or another actor.