High severity · published May 1, 2026
CVE-2026-43027
netfilter: nf_conntrack_helper: pass helper to expect cleanup
7.8
CVSS
0.1%
EPSS
No
On KEV
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
netfilter: nf_conntrack_helper: pass helper to expect cleanup
nf_conntrack_helper_unregister() calls nf_ct_expect_iterate_destroy()
to remove expectations belonging to the helper being unregistered.
However, it passes NULL instead of the helper pointer as the data
argument, so expect_iter_me() never matches any expectation and all
of them survive the cleanup.
After unregister returns, nfnl_cthelper_del() frees the helper
object immediately. Subsequent expectation dumps or packet-driven
init_conntrack() calls then dereference the freed exp->helper,
causing a use-after-free.
Pass the actual helper pointer so expectations referencing it are
properly destroyed before the helper object is freed.
BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in string+0x38f/0x430
Read of size 1 at addr ffff888003b14d20 by task poc/103
Call Trace:
string+0x38f/0x430
vsnprintf+0x3cc/0x1170
seq_printf+0x17a/0x240
exp_seq_show+0x2e5/0x560
seq_read_iter+0x419/0x1280
proc_reg_read+0x1ac/0x270
vfs_read+0x179/0x930
ksys_read+0xef/0x1c0
Freed by task 103:
The buggy address is located 32 bytes inside of
freed 192-byte region [ffff888003b14d00, ffff888003b14dc0)
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)0.1% · higher than 3% of CVEs
Exploited in the wildNo evidence yet
CISA KEVNot listed
Ransomware campaign useNot known
Affected products
Which versions
KE
Kernel · Linux
4.14 before 5.10.253; 5.11 before 5.15.203; 5.16 before 6.1.168; 6.2 before 6.6.134; 6.7 before 6.12.81; 6.13 before 6.18.22; +7 more · source: NVD
LI
Linux · Linux
ac7b848390036dadd4351899d2a23748075916bd before 5cf28d5c8dcbbe8af6d3b145babe491906d7bad1; ac7b848390036dadd4351899d2a23748075916bd before 504ba4168466c91210c45acdc332479cfd5f2da6; ac7b848390036dadd4351899d2a23748075916bd before dc1739eff48e34cc71d4e2f03715493fbcebd8af; ac7b848390036dadd4351899d2a23748075916bd before 2cf2737c85a2ba2b52024dafe68ffad2676f97be; ac7b848390036dadd4351899d2a23748075916bd before 2c16e4d64dd91227742dfe196a3e7b0568bef65a; ac7b848390036dadd4351899d2a23748075916bd before 620f3d14c1ef51d425060a3056ad8dbae8f998a3; +3 more · source: vendor
SS
SIMATIC S7-1500 CPU 1518-4 PN/DP MFP · Siemens
V3.1.6; V3.1.5; V3.1.7; V3.1.6; V3.1.5; V3.1.7 · source: CISA
SS
SIMATIC S7-1500 CPU 1518F-4 PN/DP MFP · Siemens
V3.1.6; V3.1.5; V3.1.7; V3.1.6; V3.1.5; V3.1.7 · source: CISA
SS
SIPLUS S7-1500 CPU 1518-4 PN/DP MFP · Siemens
V3.1.6; V3.1.5; V3.1.7 · source: CISA
References
NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-43027
CVE.org
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-43027
Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2c16e4d64dd91227742dfe196a3e7b0568bef65a
Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2cf2737c85a2ba2b52024dafe68ffad2676f97be
Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/504ba4168466c91210c45acdc332479cfd5f2da6
Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5cf28d5c8dcbbe8af6d3b145babe491906d7bad1
Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/620f3d14c1ef51d425060a3056ad8dbae8f998a3
Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/90bd7e8501349db3006d21fbc09df9ffcb172965
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