Host crash via stale conntrack pointer reuse
Published Feb 26, 2025 · Updated Aug 5, 2026
Use-after-free in Linux kernel netfilter conntrack allows local users to crash the host through a connection-insertion race. nf_conntrack_confirm() fails to reload skb->_nfct after __nf_conntrack_confirm() can free and replace the clashing entry, so cached-event delivery uses stale state. Exploitation requires conntrack events to be enabled and a controllable insertion clash; the grounded consequence is a kernel crash and service interruption.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in Linux kernel netfilter conntrack allows local users to crash the host through a connection-insertion race. nf_conntrack_confirm() fails to reload skb->_nfct after __nf_conntrack_confirm() can free and replace the clashing entry, so cached-event delivery uses stale state. Exploitation requires conntrack events to be enabled and a controllable insertion clash; the grounded consequence is a kernel crash and service interruption.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2022-49561
- Published
- Feb 26, 2025
- Updated
- Aug 5, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1499
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Feb 26, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 5, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=4.7
- Affected versionversion=71d8c47fc653711c41bc3282e5b0e605b3727956 <01989d7eebb61c99bd4b88ebc8e261bd2f02caed
- Affected versionversion=71d8c47fc653711c41bc3282e5b0e605b3727956 <04e4a11dc723c52db7a36dc58f0d69ce6426f8f0
- Affected versionversion=71d8c47fc653711c41bc3282e5b0e605b3727956 <04f9e9104c969d8ce10a4a43634f641ed082092d
- Affected versionversion=71d8c47fc653711c41bc3282e5b0e605b3727956 <56b14ecec97f39118bf85c9ac2438c5a949509ed
- Affected versionversion=71d8c47fc653711c41bc3282e5b0e605b3727956 <91a36ec160ec1a0c8f5352b772dffcbb0b6023e3
- Affected versionversion=71d8c47fc653711c41bc3282e5b0e605b3727956 <92a999d1963eed0df666284e20055136ceabd12f
- Affected versionversion=71d8c47fc653711c41bc3282e5b0e605b3727956 <b16bb373988da3ceb0308381634117e18b6ec60d
- Affected versionversion=71d8c47fc653711c41bc3282e5b0e605b3727956 <e97222b785e70e8973281666d709baad6523d8af
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
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Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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