CVE-2026-64413: netfilter: ebtables: zero chainstack array
Published Jul 25, 2026
·
Updated
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
netfilter: ebtables: zero chainstack array
sashiko reports:
looking at ebtables table
translation, could a sparse cpupossiblemask lead to an uninitialized pointer
free?
If cpupossiblemask is sparse (for example, CPU 0 and CPU 2 are possible,
but CPU 1 is not), the allocation loop skips CPU 1. If vmallocnode() fails at
CPU 2, the cleanup loop will blindly decrement and call vfree() on
newinfo->chainstack[1].
Not a real-world bug, such allocation isn't expected to fail
in the first place.
What conditions are required to trigger this issue?
The system must have a sparse cpu_possible_mask, such as CPU 0 and CPU 2 being possible while CPU 1 is not. An allocation for the chainstack array must then fail for a later possible CPU, causing cleanup to attempt to free an uninitialized entry.
2
How likely is exploitation in normal deployments?
The report describes this as not a real-world bug because the required allocation failure is not expected to occur in practice. The issue is therefore dependent on an unusual CPU topology combined with an unlikely vmalloc_node() failure.
3
What should administrators do?
Apply an available patch. If patching cannot occur immediately, prioritize systems with sparse possible-CPU configurations, while recognizing that the triggering allocation failure is not expected under normal conditions.
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