CVE-2026-31665
Published: April 24, 2026· Updated: Apr 27, 2026
Official Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
netfilter: nft_ct: fix use-after-free in timeout object destroy
nft_ct_timeout_obj_destroy() frees the timeout object with kfree()
immediately after nf_ct_untimeout(), without waiting for an RCU grace
period. Concurrent packet processing on other CPUs may still hold
RCU-protected references to the timeout object obtained via
rcu_dereference() in nf_ct_timeout_data().
Add an rcu_head to struct nf_ct_timeout and use kfree_rcu() to defer
freeing until after an RCU grace period, matching the approach already
used in nfnetlink_cttimeout.c.
KASAN report:
BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in nf_conntrack_tcp_packet+0x1381/0x29d0
Read of size 4 at addr ffff8881035fe19c by task exploit/80
Call Trace:
nf_conntrack_tcp_packet+0x1381/0x29d0
nf_conntrack_in+0x612/0x8b0
nf_hook_slow+0x70/0x100
__ip_local_out+0x1b2/0x210
tcp_sendmsg_locked+0x722/0x1580
__sys_sendto+0x2d8/0x320
Allocated by task 75:
nft_ct_timeout_obj_init+0xf6/0x290
nft_obj_init+0x107/0x1b0
nf_tables_newobj+0x680/0x9c0
nfnetlink_rcv_batch+0xc29/0xe00
Freed by task 26:
nft_obj_destroy+0x3f/0xa0
nf_tables_trans_destroy_work+0x51c/0x5c0
process_one_work+0x2c4/0x5a0
Technical Analysis
CVE-2026-31665 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 (8)
Quick Facts
Recommended Actions
- →Apply vendor patches immediately
- →Monitor CVE-2026-31665 in threat intel feeds
- →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts