CVE-2026-43450: netfilter: nfnetlink_cthelper: fix OOB read in nfnl_cthelper_dump_table()

Published May 8, 2026
·
Updated

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

netfilter: nfnetlinkcthelper: fix OOB read in nfnlcthelperdumptable()

nfnlcthelperdumptable() has a 'goto restart' that jumps to a label inside the for loop body. When the "last" helper saved in cb->args[1] is deleted between dump rounds, every entry fails the (cur != last) check, so cb->args[1] is never cleared. The for loop finishes with cb->args[0] == nfcthelperhsize, and the 'goto restart' jumps back into the loop body bypassing the bounds check, causing an 8-byte out-of-bounds read on nfcthelperhash[nfcthelperhsize].

The 'goto restart' block was meant to re-traverse the current bucket when "last" is no longer found, but it was placed after the for loop instead of inside it. Move the block into the for loop body so that the restart only occurs while cb->args[0] is still within bounds.

BUG: KASAN: slab-out-of-bounds in nfnlcthelperdumptable+0x9f/0x1b0 Read of size 8 at addr ffff888104ca3000 by task poccthelper/131 Call Trace: nfnlcthelperdumptable+0x9f/0x1b0 netlinkdump+0x333/0x880 netlinkrecvmsg+0x3e2/0x4b0 sockrecvmsg+0xde/0xf0 sysrecvfrom+0x150/0x200 x64sysrecvfrom+0x76/0x90 dosyscall64+0xc3/0x6e0

Allocated by task 1: kvmallocnodenoprof+0x21b/0x700 nfctallochashtable+0x65/0xd0 nfconntrackhelperinit+0x21/0x60 nfconntrackinitstart+0x18d/0x300 nfconntrackstandaloneinit+0x12/0xc0

Affected Software

11 affected components
Linux Linux kernel
Linux Linux kernel>=3.6<5.10.253
Linux Linux kernel>=5.11<5.15.203
Linux Linux kernel>=5.16<6.1.167
Linux Linux kernel>=6.2<6.6.130
Linux Linux kernel>=6.7<6.12.78
Linux Linux kernel>=6.13<6.18.19
Linux Linux kernel>=6.19<6.19.9
Linux Linux kernel=7.0-rc1
Linux Linux kernel=7.0-rc2
Linux Linux kernel=7.0-rc3

Event History

May 8, 2026
CVE Published
via MITRE·02:22 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·02:22 PM
Description
Data Sourced
via Red Hat·03:05 PM
DescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Data Sourced
via NVD·03:16 PM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2026-43450?

CVE-2026-43450 has been classified as a medium severity vulnerability due to the potential for an out-of-bounds read.

2

How do I fix CVE-2026-43450?

To fix CVE-2026-43450, users should update their Linux kernel to the latest stable version that includes the patch for this vulnerability.

3

What systems are affected by CVE-2026-43450?

CVE-2026-43450 affects various versions of the Linux kernel where the netfilter subsystem is present.

4

What is the impact of CVE-2026-43450 on my system?

The impact of CVE-2026-43450 may lead to unexpected behavior or potential information disclosure due to an out-of-bounds read.

5

Where can I find more details about CVE-2026-43450?

Details about CVE-2026-43450 can typically be found in the official Linux kernel release notes or security advisories.

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