Local privilege escalation via PIPAPO set double-free
Published Apr 4, 2024 · Updated Aug 5, 2026
A double-free in Linux kernel nftables allows local users to execute arbitrary kernel code and gain root privileges via netlink requests. When nft_pipapo_destroy handles a dirty PIPAPO set, it destroys elements present in both the current match table and its clone, freeing the same objects twice. Exploitation requires CAP_NET_ADMIN in a user namespace, CONFIG_NETFILTER and CONFIG_NF_TABLES, and a crafted batch that adds an element and deletes the set together.
Summary
What happened
A double-free in Linux kernel nftables allows local users to execute arbitrary kernel code and gain root privileges via netlink requests. When nft_pipapo_destroy handles a dirty PIPAPO set, it destroys elements present in both the current match table and its clone, freeing the same objects twice. Exploitation requires CAP_NET_ADMIN in a user namespace, CONFIG_NETFILTER and CONFIG_NF_TABLES, and a crafted batch that adds an element and deletes the set together.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2024-26809
- Published
- Apr 4, 2024
- Updated
- Aug 5, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Apr 4, 2024CVE 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=4a6430b99f67842617c7208ca55a411e903ba03a <b36b83297ff4910dfc8705402c8abffd4bbf8144
- Affected versionversion=5.10.130 <5.10.214
- Affected versionversion=5.15.54 <5.15.153
- Affected versionversion=5.18.11 <5.19
- Affected versionversion=5.19
- Affected versionversion=5ccecafc728b0df48263d5ac198220bcd79830bc <362508506bf545e9ce18c72a2c48dcbfb891ab9c
- Affected versionversion=9827a0e6e23bf43003cd3d5b7fb11baf59a35e1e <5ad233dc731ab64cdc47b84a5c1f78fff6c024af
- Affected versionversion=9827a0e6e23bf43003cd3d5b7fb11baf59a35e1e <821e28d5b506e6a73ccc367ff792bd894050d48b
- Affected versionversion=9827a0e6e23bf43003cd3d5b7fb11baf59a35e1e <9384b4d85c46ce839f51af01374062ce6318b2f2
- Affected versionversion=9827a0e6e23bf43003cd3d5b7fb11baf59a35e1e <b0e256f3dd2ba6532f37c5c22e07cb07a36031ee
- Affected versionversion=9827a0e6e23bf43003cd3d5b7fb11baf59a35e1e <ff90050771412b91e928093ccd8736ae680063c2
- Affected versionversion=d2b18d110685ce46ca1633b8ec586c685e243a51
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- Google kernelCTF exploit for CVE-2024-26809functional · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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