Kernel compromise via stale nf_tables transaction reference
Published Jul 30, 2024 · Updated Aug 5, 2026
Use-after-free in the Linux kernel nf_tables subsystem allows local users to compromise the kernel through table-removal transactions. The notifier conditionally flushes pending work, leaving worker transactions referencing a removed table when nft_commit_release reads table->family. Low-privileged local access is required; successful exploitation can disclose or alter kernel memory or crash the host.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in the Linux kernel nf_tables subsystem allows local users to compromise the kernel through table-removal transactions. The notifier conditionally flushes pending work, leaving worker transactions referencing a removed table when nft_commit_release reads table->family. Low-privileged local access is required; successful exploitation can disclose or alter kernel memory or crash the host.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2024-42109
- Published
- Jul 30, 2024
- Updated
- Aug 5, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jul 30, 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=2c9f0293280e258606e54ed2b96fa71498432eae <09e650c3a3a7d804430260510534ccbf71c75b2e
- Affected versionversion=2c9f0293280e258606e54ed2b96fa71498432eae <55a40406aac555defe9bdd0adec9508116ce7cb1
- Affected versionversion=2c9f0293280e258606e54ed2b96fa71498432eae <9f6958ba2e902f9820c594869bd710ba74b7c4c0
- Affected versionversion=4167aa477abcf62b0dfda51f3513280fa73cd588
- Affected versionversion=41841b585e53babdfb0fa6fdfa54f6d7c28c1206 <4c06c13317b9a08decedcd7aaf706691e336277c
- Affected versionversion=5.15.129 <5.15.163
- Affected versionversion=6.1.50 <6.1.98
- Affected versionversion=6.4.13 <6.5
- Affected versionversion=6.5
- Affected versionversion=f22954f8c58fd5f5489f5980796914e306757e77 <3325628cb36b7f216c5716e7b5124d9dc81199e4
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
No public exploit references are available in this record.
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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