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VulnerabilityPublished Updated

CVE-2026-53349: Linux kernel · netfilter: nf_conntrack: destroy stale expectfn expectations on unregister NAT helpers

Affects Linux kernelSource GCVE Database

0

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 5.5 Medium · fixed in 6.8.0-1066.69~22.04.1 : update Linux kernel when convenient.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 17:16 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score
5.5Medium
How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.
EPSS
0.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 1% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch
Available – fixed in 6.8.0-1066.69~22.04.1, 6.8.0-1070.78~22.04.1, 6.8.0-1068.75~22.04.1 +39
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Exploitation evidence

  1. Disclosed: evidence found.

    CVE published 1 Jul 2026

  2. Detectable: no evidence on record.

    No public nuclei template indexed

  3. Weaponised: no evidence on record.

    No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB

  4. Exploited in the wild: no evidence on record.

    Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation

  5. Observed by OffSeq Mirage: no evidence on record.

    No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.

What to do

Upgrade to a fixed release listed under Affected software.

Affected software

ProductAffectedFixed in
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinuxpkg:deb/ubuntu/linux?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threatsAffected
  • <7.0.0-31.31
Fixed in
  • 7.0.0-31.31
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-awspkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-aws?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threatsAffected
  • <7.0.0-1012.12
Fixed in
  • 7.0.0-1012.12
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-azurepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threatsAffected
  • <7.0.0-1014.14
Fixed in
  • 7.0.0-1014.14
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-azure-fdepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure-fde?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threatsAffected
  • <7.0.0-1013.13
Fixed in
  • 7.0.0-1013.13
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-gcppkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-gcp?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threatsAffected
  • <7.0.0-1011.11
Fixed in
  • 7.0.0-1011.11
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-gkepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-gke?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threatsAffected
  • <7.0.0-1006.7
Fixed in
  • 7.0.0-1006.7

Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.

AI-suggested

A patch is available and fixed versions include Linux kernel 6.8.0-1064.67~22.04.1 and later. Users should upgrade to these fixed kernel versions to resolve the issue. No additional mitigation is required as the fix prevents stale expectations from surviving module unload.

Description

A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's netfilter nf_conntrack subsystem allowed stale function pointers to remain after unloading NAT helper modules, leading to kernel crashes. This was due to expectations pointing to freed module text after module removal. The issue requires CAP_SYS_MODULE privileges to exploit and is considered a robustness flaw. A fix has been implemented to properly destroy stale expectations during module unload, preventing use-after-free crashes.

References

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