CVE-2026-53349

What the bug is

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.

Where it lives

The fix touches these files. If the subsystem is one you do not use, the practical exposure is lower, though the package is still the vulnerable one.

include/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_helper.h
net/ipv4/netfilter/nf_nat_h323.c
net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_helper.c
net/netfilter/nf_nat_core.c
net/netfilter/nf_nat_sip.c

What this is

NETFILTERMAINTAINERS section matched on include/net/netfilter/ · netfilter-devel@vger.kernel.org · Maintained

Kernel module

nf_nat_h323

Check it on the machine

grep -wE 'CONFIG_INET|CONFIG_NETFILTER|CONFIG_NF_NAT_H323' /boot/config-$(uname -r)

Reads the booted kernel's own configuration, on the machine and nowhere else. =y is built in, =m is a module, and an is not set line means the code is not there.

lsmod | grep -w nf_nat_h323

Prints a line if that module is loaded right now, and nothing if it is not. One that is not loaded can still be loaded later by anything that needs it.

Show whether Debian builds this, per release

Debian builds this as a loadable module. Every release below compiles it as a module on every flavour, so whether the code is in the running kernel depends on whether that module is loaded.

• bookworm, trixie, forky, sidm

m

a loadable module on every flavour - check lsmod, can be blacklisted

Build switches

CONFIG_INET, CONFIG_NETFILTER, CONFIG_NF_NAT_H323

Reads as

all on means the file is compiled; any one off means it is not.

From the configuration Debian publishes for every kernel flavour it builds. It covers only the architectures Debian ships a linux-config package for, and nothing about a kernel you built yourself. Debian's own status above stays authoritative about the source package.MAINTAINERS kbuild Makefiles Debian linux-config packages

Signals

Published

2026-07-01 (4 months ago)source

CVSS

no vector published, unrated

Attack vector

not published

EPSS

0.12%, higher than 1.7% of all CVEssource

CISA KEV

not listedthe KEV catalogue

Debian urgency

not yet assignedsource

Subsystem

include/net

Upstream fixes

The versions the CNA records as introducing and fixing this, and the commit for each. source

Introduced	Fixed in	Commit
2.6.20	6.1.176	fbfde85308b9
2.6.20	6.6.143	29d8cc44bbdf
2.6.20	6.12.94	f92c90a2a3e6
2.6.20	6.18.36	9d017671dcfc
2.6.20	7.0.13	bf8c0b5dd203
2.6.20	7.1	c3009418f9fa

Debian advisories