CVE-2026-97608

What the bug is

nf_log_syslog and nfnetlink_log unregister their per-network namespace operations before unregistering their global logger backends. This leaves a window where a sysctl or netlink writer can rebind the still- registered logger after the per-net pre-exit callback cleared the old selection. The race looks like this: CPU 0 CPU 1 ---- ---- unregister_pernet_subsys() nf_log_unset(net, logger) net->nf.nf_loggers[pf] = NULL lock nf_log_mutex find logger in loggers[][] net->nf.nf_loggers[pf] = logger unlock nf_log_mutex nf_log_unregister(logger) lock nf_log_mutex loggers[pf][type] = NULL unlock nf_log_mutex synchronize_rcu() module exit returns module core frees backend memory Later, a sysctl read or packet logging operation can dereference the stale per-net logger pointer. Fix this by unregistering the global logger backends before tearing down per-net state. Once the global registrations are gone, later writers can no longer rebind the logger. unregister_pernet_subsys() already waits for an RCU grace period after the pre-exit callback clears the per-net selection, while nf_log_unregister() continues to cover readers of the global logger table. Apply this ordering fix to both nf_log backends that combine per-net teardown with global logger registration.

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.

net/netfilter/nf_log_syslog.c
net/netfilter/nfnetlink_log.c

What this is

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

Kernel module

nf_log_syslog

Check it on the machine

grep -wE 'CONFIG_NETFILTER|CONFIG_NF_LOG_SYSLOG' /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_log_syslog

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, sid, bookworm · linux-6.12m

m

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

Build switches

CONFIG_NETFILTER, CONFIG_NF_LOG_SYSLOG

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

2026-09-25 (24 days ago)source

CVSS

7.0 high
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:Hsource recompute it

Attack vector

local (AV:L)source

EPSS

0.14%, higher than 3.4% of all CVEssource

CISA KEV

not listedthe KEV catalogue

Debian urgency

not yet assignedsource

Subsystem

net/netfilter

Upstream fixes

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

Introduced	Fixed in	Commit
3.10	5.15.222	51417230716b
3.10	6.1.189	b0514ca1ee6f
3.10	6.6.158	90166834b7dc
3.10	6.12.111	eaec35fae8f2
3.10	6.18.53	64803ba0a057
3.10	7.2.7	dce24f3a1469
3.10	7.3	2c018cc4842c

Debian advisories