High severity · published Mar 20, 2026
CVE-2026-23278
netfilter: nf_tables: always walk all pending catchall elements
7.8
CVSS
0.2%
EPSS
No
On KEV
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
netfilter: nf_tables: always walk all pending catchall elements
During transaction processing we might have more than one catchall element:
1 live catchall element and 1 pending element that is coming as part of the
new batch.
If the map holding the catchall elements is also going away, its
required to toggle all catchall elements and not just the first viable
candidate.
Otherwise, we get:
WARNING: ./include/net/netfilter/nf_tables.h:1281 at nft_data_release+0xb7/0xe0 [nf_tables], CPU#2: nft/1404
RIP: 0010:nft_data_release+0xb7/0xe0 [nf_tables]
[..]
__nft_set_elem_destroy+0x106/0x380 [nf_tables]
nf_tables_abort_release+0x348/0x8d0 [nf_tables]
nf_tables_abort+0xcf2/0x3ac0 [nf_tables]
nfnetlink_rcv_batch+0x9c9/0x20e0 [..]
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High
Scope
Unchanged
Exploitation
Is it being used?
Exploit prediction (EPSS)0.2% · higher than 12% of CVEs
Exploited in the wildNo evidence yet
CISA KEVNot listed
Ransomware campaign useNot known
Affected products
Which versions
KE
Kernel · Linux
4.19.316 before 4.20; 5.4.262 before 5.5; 5.10.188 before 5.11; 5.15.121 before 5.16; 6.1.36 before 6.2; 6.3.10 before 6.4; +6 more · source: NVD
LI
Linux · Linux
d60be2da67d172aecf866302c91ea11533eca4d9 before c4d4e86fda707d89eaba80e343321737375f8582; 628bd3e49cba1c066228e23d71a852c23e26da73 before 4830fb44d12f586f3f544609e086933649a9175a; 628bd3e49cba1c066228e23d71a852c23e26da73 before eb0948fa13298212c5f8b30ee48efdae4389ab09; 628bd3e49cba1c066228e23d71a852c23e26da73 before de47a88c6b807910f05703fb6605f7efdaa11417; 628bd3e49cba1c066228e23d71a852c23e26da73 before 77c26b5056d693ffe5e9f040e946251cdb55ae55; 628bd3e49cba1c066228e23d71a852c23e26da73 before 7cb9a23d7ae40a702577d3d8bacb7026f04ac2a9; +12 more · source: vendor
SS
SIMATIC S7-1500 TM MFP - GNU/Linux subsystem · Siemens
0 · source: CISA
References
NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-23278
CVE.org
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-23278
git.kernel.org
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4830fb44d12f586f3f544609e086933649a9175a
Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/77c26b5056d693ffe5e9f040e946251cdb55ae55
Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7cb9a23d7ae40a702577d3d8bacb7026f04ac2a9
git.kernel.org
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c4d4e86fda707d89eaba80e343321737375f8582
Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/de47a88c6b807910f05703fb6605f7efdaa11417
Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/eb0948fa13298212c5f8b30ee48efdae4389ab09
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