CVE-2026-31516
Published: April 22, 2026· Updated: Apr 28, 2026
Official Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
xfrm: prevent policy_hthresh.work from racing with netns teardown
A XFRM_MSG_NEWSPDINFO request can queue the per-net work item
policy_hthresh.work onto the system workqueue.
The queued callback, xfrm_hash_rebuild(), retrieves the enclosing
struct net via container_of(). If the net namespace is torn down
before that work runs, the associated struct net may already have
been freed, and xfrm_hash_rebuild() may then dereference stale memory.
xfrm_policy_fini() already flushes policy_hash_work during teardown,
but it does not synchronize policy_hthresh.work.
Synchronize policy_hthresh.work in xfrm_policy_fini() as well, so the
queued work cannot outlive the net namespace teardown and access a
freed struct net.
Technical Analysis
CVE-2026-31516 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 complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 7.8.
CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown
Affected Vendors & Products
Exploit & PoC Resources
Official Patches & Advisories
All References (4)
Quick Facts
Recommended Actions
- →Apply vendor patches immediately
- →Monitor CVE-2026-31516 in threat intel feeds
- →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts