CVE-2026-43114
Published: May 6, 2026· Updated: May 8, 2026
Official Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
netfilter: nft_set_pipapo_avx2: don't return non-matching entry on expiry
New test case fails unexpectedly when avx2 matching functions are used.
The test first loads a ranomly generated pipapo set
with 'ipv4 . port' key, i.e. nft -f foo.
This works. Then, it reloads the set after a flush:
(echo flush set t s; cat foo) | nft -f -
This is expected to work, because its the same set after all and it was
already loaded once.
But with avx2, this fails: nft reports a clashing element.
The reported clash is of following form:
We successfully re-inserted
a . b
c . d
Then we try to insert a . d
avx2 finds the already existing a . d, which (due to 'flush set') is marked
as invalid in the new generation. It skips the element and moves to next.
Due to incorrect masking, the skip-step finds the next matching
element *only considering the first field*,
i.e. we return the already reinserted "a . b", even though the
last field is different and the entry should not have been matched.
No such error is reported for the generic c implementation (no avx2) or when
the last field has to use the 'nft_pipapo_avx2_lookup_slow' fallback.
Bisection points to
7711f4bb4b36 ("netfilter: nft_set_pipapo: fix range overlap detection")
but that fix merely uncovers this bug.
Before this commit, the wrong element is returned, but erronously
reported as a full, identical duplicate.
The root-cause is too early return in the avx2 match functions.
When we process the last field, we should continue to process data
until the entire input size has been consumed to make sure no stale
bits remain in the map.
Technical Analysis
CVE-2026-43114 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.
The vulnerability requires no privileges and no user interaction, making it a prime target for automated exploitation campaigns and worm-like propagation.
A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), with a CVSS base score of 9.4.
CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown
Affected Vendors & Products
Exploit & PoC Resources
Official Patches & Advisories
All References (5)
Quick Facts
Recommended Actions
- →Apply vendor patches immediately
- →Monitor CVE-2026-43114 in threat intel feeds
- →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts