Kernel crash via stale net_device pointer reuse
Published May 17, 2024 · Updated Aug 5, 2026
Use-after-free in Linux kernel netfilter bridge handling allows local users to crash the host through crafted bridged DNAT traffic. The nf_bridge_info structure retains physindev as an unprotected net_device pointer, and a queued packet later restores skb->dev from that pointer after the device can be freed. The path requires local low-privileged access and bridged DNAT traffic with an unresolved ARP neighbor; successful triggering causes a kernel crash.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in Linux kernel netfilter bridge handling allows local users to crash the host through crafted bridged DNAT traffic. The nf_bridge_info structure retains physindev as an unprotected net_device pointer, and a queued packet later restores skb->dev from that pointer after the device can be freed. The path requires local low-privileged access and bridged DNAT traffic with an unresolved ARP neighbor; successful triggering causes a kernel crash.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2024-35839
- Published
- May 17, 2024
- Updated
- Aug 5, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- Unavailable
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- May 17, 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=4.2
- Affected versionversion=c4e70a87d975d1f561a00abfe2d3cefa2a486c95 <544add1f1cfb78c3dfa3e6edcf4668f6be5e730c
- Affected versionversion=c4e70a87d975d1f561a00abfe2d3cefa2a486c95 <7ae19ee81ca56b13c50a78de6c47d5b8fdc9d97b
- Affected versionversion=c4e70a87d975d1f561a00abfe2d3cefa2a486c95 <9325e3188a9cf3f69fc6f32af59844bbc5b90547
- Affected versionversion=c4e70a87d975d1f561a00abfe2d3cefa2a486c95 <9874808878d9eed407e3977fd11fee49de1e1d86
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
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Weakness, pattern, technique
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Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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