Local kernel compromise via duplicate netdev hook registration
Published May 8, 2026 · Updated May 8, 2026
Use-after-free in Linux Kernel 6.16 through 6.18.18 and 6.19 through 6.19.8 allows local users to crash the kernel. NETDEV_REGISTER handling in nft_flowtable_event and nft_netdev_event adds a second hook when an existing device hook is already present, leaving stale hook state that dereferences the freed net_device during teardown. Exploitation requires CAP_NET_ADMIN in the target network namespace; on deployments exposing user and network namespaces, an unprivileged local user can reach the path and corrupt kernel state or disclose kernel memory.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in Linux Kernel 6.16 through 6.18.18 and 6.19 through 6.19.8 allows local users to crash the kernel. NETDEV_REGISTER handling in nft_flowtable_event and nft_netdev_event adds a second hook when an existing device hook is already present, leaving stale hook state that dereferences the freed net_device during teardown. Exploitation requires CAP_NET_ADMIN in the target network namespace; on deployments exposing user and network namespaces, an unprivileged local user can reach the path and corrupt kernel state or disclose kernel memory.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-43454
- Published
- May 8, 2026
- Updated
- May 8, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux Kernel
- Classifications
- T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- May 8, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- May 8, 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=6.16
- Affected versionversion=a331b78a552551d0e404e58e6390b1c828d6af8f <2041cdb078041611510fc189410bc70b29f688fb
- Affected versionversion=a331b78a552551d0e404e58e6390b1c828d6af8f <6d2a95c6890577cc3eab2b20018e16850d7fb094
- Affected versionversion=a331b78a552551d0e404e58e6390b1c828d6af8f <b7cdc5a97d02c943f4bdde4d5767ad0c13cad92b
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
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
- syzbot KASAN reproducerproof of concept · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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