CVE-2026-99074

ipv4: stop PMTU walk when nexthop group shrinks

Published Oct 23, 2026 CVSS 3.1 · 5.5 Medium EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

ipv4: stop PMTU walk when nexthop group shrinks

Commit 7d3f3b4367f3 ("net: ipv4: Cache pmtu for all packet paths if
multipath enabled") made __ip_rt_update_pmtu() update every path.

For nexthop objects, fib_info_num_path() and fib_info_nhc()
independently load nh->nh_grp. RCU protects each group's lifetime but
does not make the loads observe the same group. If replacement shrinks
the group after the loop accepts an index, fib_info_nhc() returns NULL
and update_or_create_fnhe() dereferences it.

A deterministic probe only widened the existing window between the real
operations. On v7.2, an RTM_NEWNEXTHOP replacement published a
one-member group after the PMTU reader accepted index 1 from a two-member
group, producing:

KASAN: null-ptr-deref in range [0x0000000000000000-0x0000000000000007]
RIP: update_or_create_fnhe+0x45/0x15b0

Stop when the indexed path is absent. Groups are dense, so no later
index exists in that snapshot. The same real-writer window completed
114,423 PMTU iterations without an oops with this check. A reproducer
is available on request.

Replacement requires CAP_NET_ADMIN in the network namespace. Where
unprivileged user namespaces are permitted, a local user can obtain it
in a new user and network namespace.

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record

Tracking

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Advisories

Source ID Title
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9018-1 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9018-2 Linux kernel (HWE) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9019-1 Linux kernel (Azure) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9020-1 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9022-1 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9023-1 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9024-1 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9025-1 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9026-1 Linux kernel (Azure) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9039-1 Linux kernel (Azure CVM) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9040-1 Linux kernel (Low Latency NVIDIA) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9066-1 Linux kernel (HWE) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9091-1 Linux kernel (NVIDIA Tegra) vulnerabilities
History
Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-362
Type Values Removed Values Added
References
Metrics threat_severity

None

cvssV3_1

{'score': 5.5, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'}

threat_severity

Moderate

Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Linux linux
Vendors & Products Linux linux
Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-362
CWE-476
Type Values Removed Values Added
Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ipv4: stop PMTU walk when nexthop group shrinks Commit 7d3f3b4367f3 ("net: ipv4: Cache pmtu for all packet paths if multipath enabled") made __ip_rt_update_pmtu() update every path. For nexthop objects, fib_info_num_path() and fib_info_nhc() independently load nh->nh_grp. RCU protects each group's lifetime but does not make the loads observe the same group. If replacement shrinks the group after the loop accepts an index, fib_info_nhc() returns NULL and update_or_create_fnhe() dereferences it. A deterministic probe only widened the existing window between the real operations. On v7.2, an RTM_NEWNEXTHOP replacement published a one-member group after the PMTU reader accepted index 1 from a two-member group, producing: KASAN: null-ptr-deref in range [0x0000000000000000-0x0000000000000007] RIP: update_or_create_fnhe+0x45/0x15b0 Stop when the indexed path is absent. Groups are dense, so no later index exists in that snapshot. The same real-writer window completed 114,423 PMTU iterations without an oops with this check. A reproducer is available on request. Replacement requires CAP_NET_ADMIN in the network namespace. Where unprivileged user namespaces are permitted, a local user can obtain it in a new user and network namespace.
Title ipv4: stop PMTU walk when nexthop group shrinks
First Time appeared Linux
Linux linux Kernel
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Linux
Linux linux Kernel
References
Weaknesses

Sources

Status
PUBLISHED
Assigner
Linux
Published
Updated
Oct 30, 2026, 12:41 PM
Reserved
Sep 25, 2026, 10:25 AM
Status
Received
Published
Oct 23, 2026, 1:17 PM
Modified
Oct 30, 2026, 1:21 PM
Severity
Moderate
Public date
Oct 23, 2026, 12:00 AM