CVE-2026-31495
Published: April 22, 2026· Updated: Apr 28, 2026
Official Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
netfilter: ctnetlink: use netlink policy range checks
Replace manual range and mask validations with netlink policy
annotations in ctnetlink code paths, so that the netlink core rejects
invalid values early and can generate extack errors.
- CTA_PROTOINFO_TCP_STATE: reject values > TCP_CONNTRACK_SYN_SENT2 at
policy level, removing the manual >= TCP_CONNTRACK_MAX check.
- CTA_PROTOINFO_TCP_WSCALE_ORIGINAL/REPLY: reject values > TCP_MAX_WSCALE
(14). The normal TCP option parsing path already clamps to this value,
but the ctnetlink path accepted 0-255, causing undefined behavior when
used as a u32 shift count.
- CTA_FILTER_ORIG_FLAGS/REPLY_FLAGS: use NLA_POLICY_MASK with
CTA_FILTER_F_ALL, removing the manual mask checks.
- CTA_EXPECT_FLAGS: use NLA_POLICY_MASK with NF_CT_EXPECT_MASK, adding
a new mask define grouping all valid expect flags.
Extracted from a broader nf-next patch by Florian Westphal, scoped to
ctnetlink for the fixes tree.
Technical Analysis
CVE-2026-31495 requires local access, meaning attackers must already have a foothold on the target system.
Exploitation requires low privileges, which limits the exposure to scenarios where an attacker has already gained initial access.
A successful exploit results in availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 5.5.
CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown
Affected Vendors & Products
Exploit & PoC Resources
Official Patches & Advisories
All References (8)
Quick Facts
Recommended Actions
- →Apply vendor patches immediately
- →Monitor CVE-2026-31495 in threat intel feeds
- →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts