Kernel crash via premature cls_fw filter publication
Published Jun 24, 2026 · Updated Jun 24, 2026
NULL pointer dereference in the Linux Kernel cls_fw classifier allows local users to crash the kernel through traffic-control filters. The datapath can call fw_classify() after an invalid old-style filter is published to a shared block but before change() initializes it, causing q->handle to dereference a NULL q pointer. Triggering the race requires local low privileges and repeated filter creation while marked packets traverse the shared block; the resulting kernel oops interrupts the host.
Summary
What happened
NULL pointer dereference in the Linux Kernel cls_fw classifier allows local users to crash the kernel through traffic-control filters. The datapath can call fw_classify() after an invalid old-style filter is published to a shared block but before change() initializes it, causing q->handle to dereference a NULL q pointer. Triggering the race requires local low privileges and repeated filter creation while marked packets traverse the shared block; the resulting kernel oops interrupts the host.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-53080
- Published
- Jun 24, 2026
- Updated
- Jun 24, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux Kernel
- Classifications
- CWE-476, T1499.004
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jun 24, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Jun 24, 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=5.1
- Affected versionversion=ed76f5edccc98fa66f2337f0b3b255d6e1a568b7 <41845bc5bb64f3d615abe575ad655b5e7f193634
- Affected versionversion=ed76f5edccc98fa66f2337f0b3b255d6e1a568b7 <4fabcfea7a9dd159df32c5df6587fe858cb0d748
- Affected versionversion=ed76f5edccc98fa66f2337f0b3b255d6e1a568b7 <5dcce34c57d5e5990869384d69deeb9414bf9b92
- Affected versionversion=ed76f5edccc98fa66f2337f0b3b255d6e1a568b7 <5df49f0579f7e625f2358a219d31fbc7621be799
- Affected versionversion=ed76f5edccc98fa66f2337f0b3b255d6e1a568b7 <65782b2db7321d5f97c16718c4c7f6c7205a56be
- Affected versionversion=ed76f5edccc98fa66f2337f0b3b255d6e1a568b7 <829808cbf8cf8a6d07a0e67a5ea2c3fcd63a9e5c
- Affected versionversion=ed76f5edccc98fa66f2337f0b3b255d6e1a568b7 <a719275da488835e987d28effc04679b4aace3a0
- Affected versionversion=ed76f5edccc98fa66f2337f0b3b255d6e1a568b7 <c205da704c84eeb4247d770150440294fd547049
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
- Upstream cls_fw crash reproducerproof of concept · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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