In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
netfilter: nf_conntrack: destroy stale expectfn expectations on unregister
NAT helpers such as nf_nat_h323 store a raw pointer to module text in exp->expectfn (e.g. ip_nat_q931_expect). nf_ct_helper_expectfn_unregister() only unlinks the callback descriptor and never walks the expectation table, so an expectation pending at module removal survives with a dangling exp->expectfn into freed module text.
When the expected connection arrives, init_conntrack() invokes exp->expectfn(), now a stale pointer into the unloaded module. Reproduced on a KASAN build by loading the H.323 helpers, creating a Q.931 expectation, unloading nf_nat_h323, then connecting to the expected port:
Oops: int3: 0000 [#1] SMP KASAN NOPTI RIP: 0010:0xffffffffa06102d1 init_conntrack.isra.0 (net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_core.c:1862) nf_conntrack_in (net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_core.c:2049) ipv4_conntrack_local (net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_proto.c:223) nf_hook_slow (net/netfilter/core.c:619) __ip_local_out (net/ipv4/ip_output.c:120) __tcp_transmit_skb (net/ipv4/tcp_output.c:1715) tcp_connect (net/ipv4/tcp_output.c:4374) tcp_v4_connect (net/ipv4/tcp_ipv4.c:345) __sys_connect (net/socket.c:2167) Modules linked in: nf_conntrack_h323 [last unloaded: nf_nat_h323]
Reaching the dangling state requires CAP_SYS_MODULE in the initial user namespace to remove a NAT helper that still has live expectations, so this is a robustness fix; leaving an expectation pointing at freed text is wrong regardless.
Add nf_ct_helper_expectfn_destroy(), which walks the expectation table and drops every expectation whose ->expectfn matches the descriptor being torn down. Call it from each NAT helper's exit path after the existing RCU grace period, so no expectation outlives the code it points at and no extra synchronize_rcu() is introduced. With the fix, the same reproducer runs to completion without the Oops.
CVSS Details
- CVSS 3.1 Base Score: 5.5
- CVSS 3.1 Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H)
Covered by Rapid7
| Product | Vendor Advisory | Solution File | Added | Published |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon_linux_2023 | — | Upgrade kernel6.12-debuginfo-common-aarch64Upgrade kernel-toolsUpgrade kernel6.18-develUpgrade kernel6.12-tools-debuginfoUpgrade kernel-modules-extra-commonUpgrade bpftool6.18-debuginfoUpgrade python3-perf6.18-debuginfoUpgrade kernel6.18-tools-debuginfoUpgrade bpftool-debuginfoUpgrade kernel-livepatch-6.12.94-123.174Upgrade kernel6.12-modules-extraUpgrade perf6.12Upgrade kernel6.18-debuginfoUpgrade kernel-livepatch-6.18.36-69.134Upgrade perf6.18Upgrade kernelUpgrade kernel6.18-tools-develUpgrade kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64Upgrade bpftool6.18Upgrade kernel6.18-debuginfo-common-x86_64Upgrade perf-debuginfoUpgrade bpftool6.12-debuginfoUpgrade python3-perf6.12-debuginfoUpgrade perf6.18-debuginfoUpgrade bpftool6.12Upgrade python3-perf6.18Upgrade kernel-headersUpgrade kernel-tools-develUpgrade kernel6.12Upgrade kernel-tools-debuginfoUpgrade kernel6.18-modules-extra-commonUpgrade kernel6.18-headersUpgrade kernel6.18-debuginfo-common-aarch64Upgrade kernel6.18Upgrade kernel6.12-tools-develUpgrade kernel6.12-develUpgrade kernel6.12-headersUpgrade kernel6.12-debuginfo-common-x86_64Upgrade kernel6.18-modules-extraUpgrade kernel-modules-extraUpgrade perf6.12-debuginfoUpgrade kernel6.12-toolsUpgrade kernel6.12-debuginfoUpgrade kernel6.12-modules-extra-commonUpgrade kernel-livepatch-6.1.176-220.358Upgrade kernel-debuginfo-common-aarch64Upgrade kernel6.18-toolsUpgrade python3-perfUpgrade perfUpgrade kernel-debuginfoUpgrade python3-perf-debuginfoUpgrade microvm-kernel6.18Upgrade bpftoolUpgrade kernel-develUpgrade python3-perf6.12 | Jul 21, 2026 | Jul 1, 2026 |
| Debian | — | Upgrade linux-6.1Upgrade linux | Jul 5, 2026 | Jul 5, 2026 |
| Redhat_linux | — | No solution exists | Jul 17, 2026 | Jul 1, 2026 |
| Ubuntu | — | Upgrade linux-image-generic-hwe-26.04Upgrade linux-image-7.0.0-1018-nvidiaUpgrade linux-image-7.0.0-1006-gkeUpgrade linux-image-awsUpgrade linux-image-7.0.0-1013-ibmUpgrade linux-image-aws-64k-7.0Upgrade linux-image-aws-7.0Upgrade linux-image-oem-26.04bUpgrade linux-image-realtime-64kUpgrade linux-image-gcp-7.0Upgrade linux-image-7.0.0-1012-aws-64kUpgrade linux-image-gke-7.0Upgrade linux-image-realtime-7.0Upgrade linux-image-oracleUpgrade linux-image-7.0.0-1011-gcpUpgrade linux-image-oracle-64k-7.0Upgrade linux-image-virtualUpgrade linux-image-generic-64k-hwe-24.04Upgrade linux-image-realtimeUpgrade linux-image-generic-7.0Upgrade linux-image-virtual-7.0Upgrade linux-image-realtime-64k-7.0Upgrade linux-image-raspi-realtime-7.0Upgrade linux-image-gke-64kUpgrade linux-image-7.0.0-1014-azureUpgrade linux-image-gke-64k-hwe-26.04Upgrade linux-image-7.0.0-31-realtimeUpgrade linux-image-gke-hwe-26.04Upgrade linux-image-raspi-7.0Upgrade linux-image-nvidia-7.0Upgrade linux-image-azure-7.0Upgrade linux-image-nvidia-bos-7.0Upgrade linux-image-7.0.0-1019-raspi-realtimeUpgrade linux-image-genericUpgrade linux-image-gcpUpgrade linux-image-nvidia-bos-64kUpgrade linux-image-gkeUpgrade linux-image-oem-26.04Upgrade linux-image-nvidia-bos-64k-7.0Upgrade linux-image-oem-26.04aUpgrade linux-image-7.0.0-31-realtime-64kUpgrade linux-image-oracle-64kUpgrade linux-image-gke-64k-7.0Upgrade linux-image-virtual-hwe-24.04Upgrade linux-image-7.0.0-31-generic-64kUpgrade linux-image-7.0.0-1019-raspiUpgrade linux-image-generic-64kUpgrade linux-image-7.0.0-1011-oracle-64kUpgrade linux-image-generic-hwe-24.04Upgrade linux-image-generic-64k-hwe-26.04Upgrade linux-image-nvidia-64kUpgrade linux-image-nvidia-64k-7.0Upgrade linux-image-azureUpgrade linux-image-aws-64kUpgrade linux-image-oracle-7.0Upgrade linux-image-realtime-hwe-26.04Upgrade linux-image-realtime-64k-hwe-26.04Upgrade linux-image-nvidia-64k-hwe-26.04Upgrade linux-image-ibm-7.0Upgrade linux-image-gcp-64kUpgrade linux-image-azure-lts-26.04Upgrade linux-image-7.0.0-2018-nvidia-bos-64kUpgrade linux-image-7.0.0-1013-oemUpgrade linux-image-7.0.0-1011-gcp-64kUpgrade linux-image-7.0.0-1006-gke-64kUpgrade linux-image-7.0.0-2018-nvidia-bosUpgrade linux-image-oem-7.0Upgrade linux-image-nvidia-bosUpgrade linux-image-nvidiaUpgrade linux-image-generic-64k-7.0Upgrade linux-image-gcp-64k-7.0Upgrade linux-image-7.0.0-31-genericUpgrade linux-image-raspi-realtimeUpgrade linux-image-raspiUpgrade linux-image-7.0.0-1011-oracleUpgrade linux-image-7.0.0-1018-nvidia-64kUpgrade linux-image-7.0.0-1012-awsUpgrade linux-image-virtual-hwe-26.04Upgrade linux-image-nvidia-hwe-26.04Upgrade linux-image-ibm | Sep 14, 2026 | Sep 7, 2026 |
| Vmware Photon_os | — | Use 'tdnf update' to upgrade all packages to the latest version. | Jul 27, 2026 | Jul 1, 2026 |
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