CVE-2026-45860
Published: May 27, 2026· Updated: May 30, 2026
Official Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
netfilter: nf_conncount: increase the connection clean up limit to 64
After the optimization to only perform one GC per jiffy, a new problem
was introduced. If more than 8 new connections are tracked per jiffy the
list won't be cleaned up fast enough possibly reaching the limit
wrongly.
In order to prevent this issue, only skip the GC if it was already
triggered during the same jiffy and the increment is lower than the
clean up limit. In addition, increase the clean up limit to 64
connections to avoid triggering GC too often and do more effective GCs.
This has been tested using a HTTP server and several
performance tools while having nft_connlimit/xt_connlimit or OVS limit
configured.
Output of slowhttptest + OVS limit at 52000 connections:
slow HTTP test status on 340th second:
initializing: 0
pending: 432
connected: 51998
error: 0
closed: 0
service available: YES
Technical Analysis
CVE-2026-45860 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
Affected Vendors & Products
Exploit & PoC Resources
All References (8)
Quick Facts
Recommended Actions
- →Apply vendor patches immediately
- →Monitor CVE-2026-45860 in threat intel feeds
- →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts