CVE-2026-23111

EUVD-2026-6170
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.
ProviderTypeBase ScoreAtk. VectorAtk. ComplexityPriv. RequiredVector
NISTPrimary
7.8 HIGH
LOCAL
LOW
LOW
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Base Score
CVSS 3.x
EPSS Score
Percentile: Unknown
Affected Products (NVD)
VendorProductVersion
linuxlinux_kernel
4.19.316 ≤
𝑥
< 4.20
linuxlinux_kernel
5.4.262 ≤
𝑥
< 5.5
linuxlinux_kernel
5.10.188 ≤
𝑥
< 5.11
linuxlinux_kernel
5.15.121 ≤
𝑥
< 5.15.200
linuxlinux_kernel
6.1.36 ≤
𝑥
< 6.1.163
linuxlinux_kernel
6.3.10 ≤
𝑥
< 6.4
linuxlinux_kernel
6.4.1 ≤
𝑥
< 6.6.124
linuxlinux_kernel
6.7 ≤
𝑥
< 6.12.70
linuxlinux_kernel
6.13 ≤
𝑥
< 6.18.10
linuxlinux_kernel
6.4
linuxlinux_kernel
6.19:rc1
linuxlinux_kernel
6.19:rc2
linuxlinux_kernel
6.19:rc3
linuxlinux_kernel
6.19:rc4
linuxlinux_kernel
6.19:rc5
linuxlinux_kernel
6.19:rc6
linuxlinux_kernel
6.19:rc7
linuxlinux_kernel
6.19:rc8
𝑥
= Vulnerable software versions
Debian logo
Debian Releases
Debian Product
Codename
linux
bookworm
vulnerable
bookworm (security)
6.1.164-1
fixed
bullseye
vulnerable
bullseye (security)
vulnerable
forky
6.19.10-1
fixed
sid
6.19.11-1
fixed
trixie
6.12.73-1
fixed
trixie (security)
6.12.74-2
fixed
linux-6.1
bullseye (security)
6.1.164-1~deb11u1
fixed