CVE-2026-98229

What the bug is

xfrm_input() stores the current xfrm_state in the skb secpath while it continues receive-side processing. Some input paths can reset that secpath before xfrm_input() has finished dereferencing the state. Receive callback users such as VTI and XFRM interfaces can reset the secpath. The VTI receive path does so before checking whether the packet crosses network namespaces, while the XFRM interface path does so only for cross-network-namespace packets. The XFRM_MAX_DEPTH error path can also reset the secpath before the final drop callback reports the current state's protocol. If secpath_reset() drops the last state reference while the state is concurrently deleted, xfrm_input() can still dereference the freed state when selecting transport_finish() or reporting the drop callback protocol. Save the state protocol on the stack while the state is still valid, and use the already saved address family for transport_finish(). A larval XFRM_STATE_ACQ state has no type, so retain nexthdr as its protocol. This preserves the existing drop-path fallback while avoiding the post-reset state dereferences without adding an extra state reference to every received packet.

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/xfrm/xfrm_input.c

What this is

NETWORKING [IPSEC]MAINTAINERS section matched on net/xfrm/ · netdev@vger.kernel.org · Maintained

Check it on the machine

grep -w CONFIG_XFRM /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.

Show whether Debian builds this, per release

Debian builds this code. Every release below compiles the affected file into the kernels it ships.

• bookworm, trixie, forky, sidy

y

built into the kernel image on every flavour - only a patch removes it

Build switch

CONFIG_XFRM

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

2026-10-06 (13 days ago)source

CVSS

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

Attack vector

local (AV:L)source

EPSS

0.16%, higher than 5.2% of all CVEssource

CISA KEV

not listedthe KEV catalogue

Debian urgency

not yet assignedsource

Subsystem

net/xfrm

Upstream fixes

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

Introduced	Fixed in	Commit
3.15	6.12.112	35de97850987
3.15	6.18.54	148db154066b
3.15	7.2.8	537a5ae18b2b
3.15	7.3	3cf5cdecd99c

Debian advisories