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CVE-2026-98484

Linux: netfilter: nf_tables: skip expired catchall elements on insert and delete

Linux LinuxOperating systems
CVSS
NoneNot scored
ExploitationNo known exploitationNot in CISA KEV, which does not prove it is unexploitedCISA KEV
Exploit odds (EPSS)0.20%Chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 9% of CVEs. Scored 23 Oct 2026FIRST EPSS
Fixed in5e20b39aa7844769a7a782484bc1a809ffbc513eAlso 2f07da3881525f7cbfed1ced2796c71a201505b9, 12cf803edfffef96f6415f0b5dbc7ec88842ea0f and 2 moreCVE List
Published18 Oct 2026Updated 21 Oct 2026CVE List

What fixes it

  • 5e20b39aa7844769a7a782484bc1a809ffbc513eLinuxCVE List
  • 2f07da3881525f7cbfed1ced2796c71a201505b9LinuxCVE List
  • 12cf803edfffef96f6415f0b5dbc7ec88842ea0fLinuxCVE List
  • 4fb8b1ccc475651e480e509de126bb9ce7f3cff9LinuxCVE List
  • 70194dc37670bd08e44b471389861cc01bd3a3c9LinuxCVE List

A fixed version on one release line is not the upgrade target for every line. Check your exact version and any vendor backports.

Description

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

netfilter: nf_tables: skip expired catchall elements on insert and delete

nft_setelem_catchall_insert() looks up duplicates with nft_set_elem_active() only, while nft_set_catchall_lookup() and the dump path additionally skip expired elements.

Once a catchall element with a timeout expires, this predicate drift makes it invisible to userspace dumps, yet it still blocks re-insertion: with NLM_F_EXCL the request fails with -EEXIST, and without it the request reports success but silently inserts nothing. The stale entry only goes away when the (user-tunable) gc interval elapses, so the catchall rule may silently stop matching for an arbitrarily long time after its first expiration.

The delete path shows the same drift: nft_setelem_catchall_deactivate() picks the first active-next entry in the catchall list, so with an expired entry still pending GC it retires the stale entry instead of the fresh one, and it deactivates an element that userspace no longer sees instead of failing with -ENOENT.

Align both walks with the lookup and dump predicates: only an element that is active and not expired counts as a duplicate or delete candidate, using the per-netns timestamp taken at transaction start, in line with the set backend .insert/.deactivate and catchall GC sync paths.

Text from CVE List

Affected versions 12

  • Linuxaffected: aaa31047a6d25da0fa101da1ed544e1247949b40 before 5e20b39aa7844769a7a782484bc1a809ffbc513eCVE List
  • Linuxaffected: aaa31047a6d25da0fa101da1ed544e1247949b40 before 2f07da3881525f7cbfed1ced2796c71a201505b9CVE List
  • Linuxaffected: aaa31047a6d25da0fa101da1ed544e1247949b40 before 12cf803edfffef96f6415f0b5dbc7ec88842ea0fCVE List
  • Linuxaffected: aaa31047a6d25da0fa101da1ed544e1247949b40 before 4fb8b1ccc475651e480e509de126bb9ce7f3cff9CVE List
  • Linuxaffected: aaa31047a6d25da0fa101da1ed544e1247949b40 before 70194dc37670bd08e44b471389861cc01bd3a3c9CVE List
  • Linuxaffected: 5.13CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: all versions before 5.13CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 6.6.160 through 6.6.*CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 6.12.112 through 6.12.*CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 6.18.55 through 6.18.*CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 7.2.9 through 7.2.*CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 7.3CVE List

References 5