HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2026-45859
HIGH

CVE-2026-45859

Published: May 27, 2026· Updated: May 30, 2026

7.5
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

netfilter: nfnetlink_queue: do shared-unconfirmed check before segmentation

Ulrich reports a regression with nfqueue:

If an application did not set the 'F_GSO' capability flag and a gso

packet with an unconfirmed nf_conn entry is received all packets are

now dropped instead of queued, because the check happens after

skb_gso_segment(). In that case, we did have exclusive ownership

of the skb and its associated conntrack entry. The elevated use

count is due to skb_clone happening via skb_gso_segment().

Move the check so that its peformed vs. the aggregated packet.

Then, annotate the individual segments except the first one so we

can do a 2nd check at reinject time.

For the normal case, where userspace does in-order reinjects, this avoids

packet drops: first reinjected segment continues traversal and confirms

entry, remaining segments observe the confirmed entry.

While at it, simplify nf_ct_drop_unconfirmed(): We only care about

unconfirmed entries with a refcnt > 1, there is no need to special-case

dying entries.

This only happens with UDP. With TCP, the only unconfirmed packet will

be the TCP SYN, those aren't aggregated by GRO.

Next patch adds a udpgro test case to cover this scenario.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2026-45859 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 availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 7.5.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.None
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityNone
IntegrityNone
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

Mentioned vendors (from description):
Linux
CPE data not yet available in NVD for this CVE.

Exploit & PoC Resources

NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time
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All References (4)

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2026-45859
CVSS Score7.5 / 10
SeverityHIGH
CISA KEVNo
PublishedMay 27, 2026

Recommended Actions

  • Apply vendor patches immediately
  • Monitor CVE-2026-45859 in threat intel feeds
  • Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts
Data sourced from NVD (NIST), CISA KEV, and EPSS (FIRST). Analysis generated by CTIWATCH.COM. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.