CVE-2026-23111
netfilter: nf_tables: fix inverted genmask check in nft_map_catchall_activate()
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
netfilter: nf_tables: fix inverted genmask check in nft_map_catchall_activate()
nft_map_catchall_activate() has an inverted element activity check
compared to its non-catchall counterpart nft_mapelem_activate() and
compared to what is logically required.
nft_map_catchall_activate() is called from the abort path to re-activate
catchall map elements that were deactivated during a failed transaction.
It should skip elements that are already active (they don't need
re-activation) and process elements that are inactive (they need to be
restored). Instead, the current code does the opposite: it skips inactive
elements and processes active ones.
Compare the non-catchall activate callback, which is correct:
nft_mapelem_activate():
if (nft_set_elem_active(ext, iter->genmask))
return 0; /* skip active, process inactive */
With the buggy catchall version:
nft_map_catchall_activate():
if (!nft_set_elem_active(ext, genmask))
continue; /* skip inactive, process active */
The consequence is that when a DELSET operation is aborted,
nft_setelem_data_activate() is never called for the catchall element.
For NFT_GOTO verdict elements, this means nft_data_hold() is never
called to restore the chain->use reference count. Each abort cycle
permanently decrements chain->use. Once chain->use reaches zero,
DELCHAIN succeeds and frees the chain while catchall verdict elements
still reference it, resulting in a use-after-free.
This is exploitable for local privilege escalation from an unprivileged
user via user namespaces + nftables on distributions that enable
CONFIG_USER_NS and CONFIG_NF_TABLES.
Fix by removing the negation so the check matches nft_mapelem_activate():
skip active elements, process inactive ones.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Productos afectados
Linux · Linux¿Quieres saber si tu infraestructura está expuesta a esto?
Hablar con TrueHacking →Referencias
https://blog.exodusintel.com/2026/06/08/off-by-exploiting-a-use-after-free-in-the-linux-kernel/https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-253495.htmlhttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1444ff890b4653add12f734ffeffc173d42862ddhttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/42c574c1504aa089a0a142e4c13859327570473dhttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8b68a45f9722f2babe9e7bad00aa74638addf081https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8c760ba4e36c750379d13569f23f5a6e185333f5https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b9b6573421de51829f7ec1cce76d85f5f6fbbd7fhttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f41c5d151078c5348271ffaf8e7410d96f2d82f8