Kernel crash via nexthop-group shrink race
Published Oct 23, 2026 · Updated Oct 23, 2026
Linux 5.12 has a race in IPv4 route notification sizing that allows local users to trigger a kernel crash via nexthop replacement. In fib_nlmsg_size(), separate reads of the nexthop group let a concurrent RTM_NEWNEXTHOP shrink invalidate a path index, passing NULL to fib_nexthop_nlmsg_size(). Triggering the race requires nexthop replacement during asynchronous hardware-flag notification sizing and network-administration privileges; code execution is not established.
Summary
What happened
Linux 5.12 has a race in IPv4 route notification sizing that allows local users to trigger a kernel crash via nexthop replacement. In fib_nlmsg_size(), separate reads of the nexthop group let a concurrent RTM_NEWNEXTHOP shrink invalidate a path index, passing NULL to fib_nexthop_nlmsg_size(). Triggering the race requires nexthop replacement during asynchronous hardware-flag notification sizing and network-administration privileges; code execution is not established.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-99072
- Published
- Oct 23, 2026
- Updated
- Oct 23, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1499.004
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- Unavailable
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Oct 23, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Oct 23, 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?
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- Affected versionversion=5.12
- Affected versionversion=680aea08e78c003292415518ad270bc20f9c80b1 <72d9d17092bb37b0717f12042a0817d01a1f9e78
- Affected versionversion=680aea08e78c003292415518ad270bc20f9c80b1 <ad1c9f1b98c92609e9bb2ae8f05916defc3b0a54
- Affected versionversion=680aea08e78c003292415518ad270bc20f9c80b1 <ad2b3a68b8a7d5d27de88e05674e4adb1ce46d88
- Affected versionversion=680aea08e78c003292415518ad270bc20f9c80b1 <c1f48d1c2d5e9efd904dbbc2f2b3d41543e55c49
- Affected versionversion=680aea08e78c003292415518ad270bc20f9c80b1 <d3daa33c7af92e38f2274bbd2576f58bfbaf89e6
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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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.
Activity data is delayed. The latest report is Sep 28, 2026.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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