CVE-2026-31516

7.8 HIGH 0.1% exploit odds Fix listed Other OS & kernel

What it is

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: xfrm: prevent policy_hthresh.work from racing with netns teardown A XFRM_MSG_NEWSPDINFO request can queue the per-net work item policy_hthresh.work onto the system workqueue. The queued callback, xfrm_hash_rebuild(), retrieves the enclosing struct net via container_of(). If the net namespace is torn down before that work runs, the associated struct net may already have been freed, and xfrm_hash_rebuild() may then dereference stale memory. xfrm_policy_fini() already flushes policy_hash_work during teardown, but it does not synchronize policy_hthresh.work. Synchronize policy_hthresh.work in xfrm_policy_fini() as well, so the queued work cannot outlive the net namespace teardown and access a freed struct net.

At a glance

Exploitability: Can be exploited locally on the machine with a low-privilege account. High risk of data exposure, data tampering, service disruption.
Exploit odds: 0.1% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days (EPSS).
Fix: A patch, advisory or fixed version is referenced. Upgrade or apply it.

Timeline

2026-04-22 14:16 UTC PublishedDisclosed publicly on CVE.org and NVD
2026-10-19 19:17 UTC Last updatedMost recent change to the record

Why it ranks here

Exploited in the wild: no, CISA does not list it.
Exploit odds: 0.1% in the next 30 days (EPSS).
Severity: 7.8 HIGH (CVSS).
Fix: a patch or advisory is linked.

Details

Published: 2026-04-22 14:16 UTC
Last modified: 2026-10-19 19:17 UTC
Exploit probability: 0.1% · EPSS, next 30 days
Weakness: CWE-362 · Race condition
Record status: Modified

Affected

Linux Kernel < 6.12.80
Linux Kernel < 6.18.21
Linux Kernel < 6.19.11
Linux Kernel 3.18
Linux Kernel 7.0

Attack profile CVSS 3.1 · 7.8

Attack vector: Local
Complexity: Low
Privileges needed: Low
User interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: High
Integrity: High
Availability: High

Raw vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Is it in your code?

Hand this to your coding agent. It searches your project for the affected products and checks versions. Nothing leaves your machine.

Read https://cve-list.com/agent/cve/CVE-2026-31516.md and follow it. Check whether this project is affected by CVE-2026-31516. Read only. Don't change anything and don't upload my code. Tell me yes, no or not sure, with the file as proof.

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Fix and advisories

References

NVD record · CVE.org record