CVE-2026-52998: netfilter: nfnetlink_osf: fix potential NULL dereference in ttl check

Severity: high (CVSS 7.5 v3.1)
Exploited in the wild: not listed in CISA KEV
EPSS: 0.6% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
Public exploit or detection template: none known
Published: 2026-06-24 · updated 2026-10-19
Weakness: CWE-476

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netfilter: nfnetlink_osf: fix potential NULL dereference in ttl check The nf_osf_ttl() function accessed skb->dev to perform a local interface address lookup without verifying that the device pointer was valid. Additionally, the implementation utilized an in_dev_for_each_ifa_rcu loop to match the packet source address against local interface addresses. It assumed that packets from the same subnet should not see a decrement on the initial TTL. A packet might appear it is from the same subnet but it actually isn't especially in modern environments with containers and virtual switching. Remove the device dereference and interface loop. Replace the logic with a switch statement that evaluates the TTL according to the ttl_check.

Affected products

Linux kernel: from 2.6.31 before 5.10.258; from 5.11 before 5.15.209; from 5.16 before 6.1.175; from 6.2 before 6.6.141; from 6.7 before 6.12.91; from 6.13 before 6.18.33 — fixed in 5.10.258, 5.15.209, 6.1.175, 6.12.91, 6.18.33, 6.6.141

How to fix

Upgrade to a fixed version: Linux kernel 5.10.258, 5.15.209, 6.1.175, 6.12.91. Check the vendor advisory for mitigations.

References

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