REDHAT-BUG-2467005: Medium severity Linux Linux kernel (netfilter/ctnetlink) vulnerability

Published May 6, 2026
·
Updated

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

netfilter: ctnetlink: ensure safe access to master conntrack

Holding reference on the expectation is not sufficient, the master conntrack object can just go away, making exp->master invalid.

To access exp->master safely:

- Grab the nfconntrackexpectlock, this gets serialized with cleanfromlists() which also holds this lock when the master conntrack goes away.

- Hold reference on master conntrack via nfconntrackfindget(). Not so easy since the master tuple to look up for the master conntrack is not available in the existing problematic paths.

This patch goes for extending the nfconntrackexpectlock section to address this issue for simplicity, in the cases that are described below this is just slightly extending the lock section.

The add expectation command already holds a reference to the master conntrack from ctnetlinkcreateexpect().

However, the delete expectation command needs to grab the spinlock before looking up for the expectation. Expand the existing spinlock section to address this to cover the expectation lookup. Note that, the nfctexpectiteratenet() calls already grabs the spinlock while iterating over the expectation table, which is correct.

The get expectation command needs to grab the spinlock to ensure master conntrack does not go away. This also expands the existing spinlock section to cover the expectation lookup too. I needed to move the netlink skb allocation out of the spinlock to keep it GFPKERNEL.

For the expectation events, the IPEXPDESTROY event is already delivered under the spinlock, just move the delivery of IPEXPNEW under the spinlock too because the master conntrack event cache is reached through exp->master.

While at it, add lockdep notations to help identify what codepaths need to grab the spinlock.

Affected Software

1 affected component
Linux Linux kernel (netfilter/ctnetlink)

Event History

May 6, 2026
Data Sourced
via Red Hat·10:02 AM
DescriptionSeverityAffected Software

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of REDHAT-BUG-2467005?

The severity of REDHAT-BUG-2467005 is classified as medium with a risk score of 4.

2

How do I fix REDHAT-BUG-2467005?

To fix REDHAT-BUG-2467005, update your Linux kernel to the patched version that resolves the netfilter ctnetlink vulnerability.

3

What systems are affected by REDHAT-BUG-2467005?

The affected systems include those running the specified version of the Linux kernel with netfilter and ctnetlink components.

4

What is the nature of the vulnerability in REDHAT-BUG-2467005?

The vulnerability in REDHAT-BUG-2467005 is related to unsafe access to the master conntrack object in the Linux kernel's netfilter.

5

When was REDHAT-BUG-2467005 published?

REDHAT-BUG-2467005 was published on May 6, 2026.

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