CVE-2026-23270
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Description
A flaw was found in the Linux kernel. A use-after-free vulnerability exists in the traffic control act_ct path when it is incorrectly configured with non-ingress egress qdiscs (queueing disciplines). This can allow a local user with specific privileges to trigger a kernel crash, leading to a denial of service. In some cases, this vulnerability may also be exploited for privilege escalation.
Statement
A use after free risk exists in the traffic control act_ct path when it is attached to non ingress egress qdiscs. In this configuration classify can return TC_ACT_CONSUMED while the skb is still held by the defragmentation engine. That can result in the skb being consumed and later accessed again by defragmentation which may lead to a kernel crash. Impact is denial of service in the common case, but keeping in mind that a kernel UAF could be exploitable for privilege escalation in some cases. The bug could happen only if some specific configuration being used (when tc/action being used and if the act_ct linked to incorrect qdisc/block), and in some cases regular user (if with some privileges) can make such configuration. The bug is not triggerable until some specific configuration being used, so considered with limited impact level.
Additional Information
- This content is not included.Bugzilla 2448745: kernel: Linux kernel: Use-after-free in traffic control (act_ct) may lead to denial of service or privilege escalation
- Content from cwe.mitre.org is not included.CWE-416: Use After Free
- FAQ: Frequently asked questions about CVE-2026-23270
- Offline Security Data data is available for integration with other systems. See Offline Security Data API to get started.
External References
Content from www.cve.org is not included.https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-23270
Content from nvd.nist.gov is not included.https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-23270
Affected Packages and Issued Red Hat Security Errata
| Products / Services | Components | State | Errata |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 | kernel | Fixed | RHSA-2026:13566 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 | kernel | Fixed | This content is not included.RHSA-2026:19569 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 | kernel | Under investigation | |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | kernel | Not affected | |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | kernel-rt | Not affected | |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | kernel | Affected | |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | kernel-rt | Affected | |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | kernel-rt | Affected | |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | kernel | Fixed | RHSA-2026:13565 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | kernel | Fixed | This content is not included.RHSA-2026:19568 |
Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Score Details
Important note
CVSS scores for open source components depend on vendor-specific factors (e.g. version or build chain). Therefore, Red Hat's score and impact rating can be different from NVD and other vendors. Red Hat remains the authoritative CVE Naming Authorities (CNA) source for its products and services (see Red Hat classifications ).
| CVSS v3 Score Breakdown | Red Hat | NVD |
|---|---|---|
| CVSS v3 Base Score | 7 | |
| Attack Vector | Local | |
| Attack Complexity | High | |
| Privileges Required | Low | |
| User Interaction | None | |
| Scope | Unchanged | |
| Confidentiality Impact | High | |
| Integrity Impact | High | |
| Availability Impact | High |
CVSS v3 Vector
Red Hat CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Red Hat's CVSS v3 score or Impact different from other vendors?
For more information, see https://access.redhat.com/solutions/762393.
My product is listed as "Under investigation" or "Affected", when will Red Hat release a fix for this vulnerability?
- "Under investigation" doesn't necessarily mean that the product is affected by this vulnerability. It only means that our Analysis Team is still working on determining whether the product is affected and how it is affected.
- "Affected" means that our Analysis Team has determined that this product is affected by this vulnerability and might release a fix to address this in the near future.
What can I do if my product is listed as "Will not fix"?
Available options depend mostly on the Impact of the vulnerability and the current Life Cycle phase of your product. Overall, you have the following options:
- Upgrade to a supported product version that includes a fix for this vulnerability (recommended).
- Apply a mitigation (if one exists).
- Open a This content is not included.support case to request a prioritization of releasing a fix for this vulnerability.
What can I do if my product is listed as "Fix deferred"?
Available options depend mostly on the Impact of the vulnerability and the current Life Cycle phase of your product. Overall, you have the following options:
- Apply a mitigation (if one exists).
- Open a This content is not included.support case to request a prioritization of releasing a fix for this vulnerability.
- Red Hat Engineering focuses on addressing high-priority issues based on their complexity or limited lifecycle support. Therefore, lower-priority issues will not receive immediate fixes.
What is a mitigation?
I have a Red Hat product but it is not in the above list, is it affected?
Why is my security scanner reporting my product as vulnerable to this vulnerability even though my product version is fixed or not affected?
My product is listed as "Out of Support Scope". What does this mean?
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