CVE-2026-31680
Published: April 25, 2026· Updated: Apr 27, 2026
Official Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
net: ipv6: flowlabel: defer exclusive option free until RCU teardown
`ip6fl_seq_show()` walks the global flowlabel hash under the seq-file
RCU read-side lock and prints `fl->opt->opt_nflen` when an option block
is present.
Exclusive flowlabels currently free `fl->opt` as soon as `fl->users`
drops to zero in `fl_release()`. However, the surrounding
`struct ip6_flowlabel` remains visible in the global hash table until
later garbage collection removes it and `fl_free_rcu()` finally tears it
down.
A concurrent `/proc/net/ip6_flowlabel` reader can therefore race that
early `kfree()` and dereference freed option state, triggering a crash
in `ip6fl_seq_show()`.
Fix this by keeping `fl->opt` alive until `fl_free_rcu()`. That matches
the lifetime already required for the enclosing flowlabel while readers
can still reach it under RCU.
Technical Analysis
CVE-2026-31680 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
All References (8)
Quick Facts
Recommended Actions
- →Apply vendor patches immediately
- →Monitor CVE-2026-31680 in threat intel feeds
- →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts