CVE-2026-53212

Local privilege escalation via nft_tunnel use-after-free

Published Jun 25, 2026 · Updated Jun 25, 2026

Use-after-free in Linux Kernel nft_tunnel allows local users to escalate privileges through crafted local nftables operations. nft_tunnel_obj_destroy() directly frees metadata_dst without honoring dst_entry references held by queued packets, so later dst_release() uses freed memory. Exploitation requires local nftables control, typically CAP_NET_ADMIN in a user and network namespace, and can corrupt kernel memory or crash the system.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.15%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Use-after-free in Linux Kernel nft_tunnel allows local users to escalate privileges through crafted local nftables operations. nft_tunnel_obj_destroy() directly frees metadata_dst without honoring dst_entry references held by queued packets, so later dst_release() uses freed memory. Exploitation requires local nftables control, typically CAP_NET_ADMIN in a user and network namespace, and can corrupt kernel memory or crash the system.

The record

CVE
CVE-2026-53212
Published
Jun 25, 2026
Updated
Jun 25, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux Kernel
Classifications
CWE-416, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jun 25, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Jun 25, 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.

  1. Affected versionversion=4.19
  2. Affected versionversion=af308b94a2a4a5a27bec9028354c4df444a7c8ba <349df61526d2e39decc685d246202e3e284cfe05
  3. Affected versionversion=af308b94a2a4a5a27bec9028354c4df444a7c8ba <55b79b1ae42372012413ce0413181d26679b17ef
  4. Affected versionversion=af308b94a2a4a5a27bec9028354c4df444a7c8ba <5e9ee18b27fde88cb6148202b33916c66693fe82
  5. Affected versionversion=af308b94a2a4a5a27bec9028354c4df444a7c8ba <8767fe4079affa74314d7eb3220e700150289842
  6. Affected versionversion=af308b94a2a4a5a27bec9028354c4df444a7c8ba <941d7394efda5e054e2d6f3e0dd0f6a9ba19aaa3
  7. Affected versionversion=af308b94a2a4a5a27bec9028354c4df444a7c8ba <c32b26aaa2f9216520a38b3f4bfeec846eb3eb8a
  8. Affected versionversion=af308b94a2a4a5a27bec9028354c4df444a7c8ba <f9a0e4b61054cde89a2a77845293c726cc07cc43
  9. Affected versionversion=af308b94a2a4a5a27bec9028354c4df444a7c8ba <fda6573a46ad24f35348e024905ee5bdf729797e

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linux Kernelversion=4.19; version=af308b94a2a4a5a27bec9028354c4df444a7c8ba <349df61526d2e39decc685d246202e3e284cfe05; version=af308b94a2a4a5a27bec9028354c4df444a7c8ba <55b79b1ae42372012413ce0413181d26679b17ef; version=af308b94a2a4a5a27bec9028354c4df444a7c8ba <5e9ee18b27fde88cb6148202b33916c66693fe82; version=af308b94a2a4a5a27bec9028354c4df444a7c8ba <8767fe4079affa74314d7eb3220e700150289842; version=af308b94a2a4a5a27bec9028354c4df444a7c8ba <941d7394efda5e054e2d6f3e0dd0f6a9ba19aaa3; version=af308b94a2a4a5a27bec9028354c4df444a7c8ba <c32b26aaa2f9216520a38b3f4bfeec846eb3eb8a; version=af308b94a2a4a5a27bec9028354c4df444a7c8ba <f9a0e4b61054cde89a2a77845293c726cc07cc43; version=af308b94a2a4a5a27bec9028354c4df444a7c8ba <fda6573a46ad24f35348e024905ee5bdf729797e

Published CVSS scores

7.8Linux kernel.org CNACVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

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.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-416Use After Free
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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