Medium severity · published Jul 1, 2026
CVE-2026-53349
netfilter: nf_conntrack: destroy stale expectfn expectations on unregister
5.5
CVSS
0.1%
EPSS
No
On KEV
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
netfilter: nf_conntrack: destroy stale expectfn expectations on unregister
NAT helpers such as nf_nat_h323 store a raw pointer to module text in
exp->expectfn (e.g. ip_nat_q931_expect). nf_ct_helper_expectfn_unregister()
only unlinks the callback descriptor and never walks the expectation table,
so an expectation pending at module removal survives with a dangling
exp->expectfn into freed module text.
When the expected connection arrives, init_conntrack() invokes
exp->expectfn(), now a stale pointer into the unloaded module. Reproduced
on a KASAN build by loading the H.323 helpers, creating a Q.931
expectation, unloading nf_nat_h323, then connecting to the expected port:
Oops: int3: 0000 [#1] SMP KASAN NOPTI
RIP: 0010:0xffffffffa06102d1
init_conntrack.isra.0 (net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_core.c:1862)
nf_conntrack_in (net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_core.c:2049)
ipv4_conntrack_local (net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_proto.c:223)
nf_hook_slow (net/netfilter/core.c:619)
__ip_local_out (net/ipv4/ip_output.c:120)
__tcp_transmit_skb (net/ipv4/tcp_output.c:1715)
tcp_connect (net/ipv4/tcp_output.c:4374)
tcp_v4_connect (net/ipv4/tcp_ipv4.c:345)
__sys_connect (net/socket.c:2167)
Modules linked in: nf_conntrack_h323 [last unloaded: nf_nat_h323]
Reaching the dangling state requires CAP_SYS_MODULE in the initial user
namespace to remove a NAT helper that still has live expectations, so this
is a robustness fix; leaving an expectation pointing at freed text is wrong
regardless.
Add nf_ct_helper_expectfn_destroy(), which walks the expectation table and
drops every expectation whose ->expectfn matches the descriptor being torn
down. Call it from each NAT helper's exit path after the existing RCU grace
period, so no expectation outlives the code it points at and no extra
synchronize_rcu() is introduced. With the fix, the same reproducer runs to
completion without the Oops.
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High
Scope
Unchanged
Exploitation
Is it being used?
Exploit prediction (EPSS)0.1% · higher than 2% of CVEs
Exploited in the wildNo evidence yet
CISA KEVNot listed
Ransomware campaign useNot known
Affected products
Which versions
KE
Kernel · Linux
2.6.20 before 6.1.176; 6.2 before 6.6.143; 6.7 before 6.12.94; 6.13 before 6.18.36; 6.19 before 7.0.13; 7.1; +6 more · source: NVD
LI
Linux · Linux
f587de0e2feb9eb9b94f98d0a7b7437e4d6617b4 before fbfde85308b99938a6092c48753214d190ece48d; f587de0e2feb9eb9b94f98d0a7b7437e4d6617b4 before 29d8cc44bbdf7b83a1929912214afe6643c1b4f1; f587de0e2feb9eb9b94f98d0a7b7437e4d6617b4 before f92c90a2a3e6ff6f9f7fe88fde9004b4ca8f956d; f587de0e2feb9eb9b94f98d0a7b7437e4d6617b4 before 9d017671dcfcec23321fb7962dea624f9e71ddb1; f587de0e2feb9eb9b94f98d0a7b7437e4d6617b4 before bf8c0b5dd203be94c2ad50e264cec19267c6bd39; f587de0e2feb9eb9b94f98d0a7b7437e4d6617b4 before c3009418f9fa1dcb3eb86f4d8c92583537b5faa3; +1 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-2026-53349
CVE.org
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-53349
Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/29d8cc44bbdf7b83a1929912214afe6643c1b4f1
Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9d017671dcfcec23321fb7962dea624f9e71ddb1
Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/bf8c0b5dd203be94c2ad50e264cec19267c6bd39
Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c3009418f9fa1dcb3eb86f4d8c92583537b5faa3
Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f92c90a2a3e6ff6f9f7fe88fde9004b4ca8f956d
Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fbfde85308b99938a6092c48753214d190ece48d
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