CVE-2026-31424

Medium

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netfilter: x_tables: restrict xt_check_match/xt_check_target extensions for NFPROTO_ARP Weiming Shi says: xt_match and xt_target structs registered with NFPROTO_UNSPEC can be loaded by any protocol family through nft_compat. When such a match/target sets .hooks to restrict which hooks it may run on, the bitmask uses NF_INET_* constants. This is only correct for families whose hook layout matches NF_INET_*: IPv4, IPv6, INET, and bridge all share the same five hooks (PRE_ROUTING ... POST_ROUTING). ARP only has three hooks (IN=0, OUT=1, FORWARD=2) with different semantics. Because NF_ARP_OUT == 1 == NF_INET_LOCAL_IN, the .hooks validation silently passes for the wrong reasons, allowing matches to run on ARP chains where the hook assumptions (e.g. state->in being set on input hooks) do not hold. This leads to NULL pointer dereferences; xt_devgroup is one concrete example: Oops: general protection fault, probably for non-canonical address 0xdffffc0000000044: 0000 [#1] SMP KASAN NOPTI KASAN: null-ptr-deref in range [0x0000000000000220-0x0000000000000227] RIP: 0010:devgroup_mt+0xff/0x350 Call Trace: <TASK> nft_match_eval (net/netfilter/nft_compat.c:407) nft_do_chain (net/netfilter/nf_tables_core.c:285) nft_do_chain_arp (net/netfilter/nft_chain_filter.c:61) nf_hook_slow (net/netfilter/core.c:623) arp_xmit (net/ipv4/arp.c:666) </TASK> Kernel panic - not syncing: Fatal exception in interrupt Fix it by restricting arptables to NFPROTO_ARP extensions only. Note that arptables-legacy only supports: - arpt_CLASSIFY - arpt_mangle - arpt_MARK that provide explicit NFPROTO_ARP match/target declarations.

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2026-04-13
Last modified 2026-05-20
CVSS version 3.1
Patch available
Yes

CVSS 3.1 score

5.5

out of 10
Medium
Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
None
Availability
High
Vector string
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Weakness type

CWE-476

CVE-2026-31424 is a NULL Pointer Dereference vulnerability

What is NULL Pointer Dereference?

The product dereferences a pointer that it expects to be valid but is NULL, typically causing a crash. Learn more on MITRE CWE

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 2.6.39 and later are affected. Fixed in 5.10.253, 5.15.203, 6.1.168, 6.6.134, 6.12.81, 6.18.22, 6.19.12, 7.0 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 2.6.39
Fixed in
✓ 5.10.253 5.10.x ✓ 5.15.203 5.15.x ✓ 6.1.168 6.1.x ✓ 6.6.134 6.6.x ✓ 6.12.81 6.12.x ✓ 6.18.22 6.18.x ✓ 6.19.12 6.19.x ✓ 7.0

References

The following references provide additional information about CVE-2026-31424 including vendor advisories, patch commits, exploit details, and third-party analysis. Links are sourced from the NIST NVD database.

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2026-31424?

    CVE-2026-31424 is a Medium severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10 , classified as a NULL Pointer Dereference flaw (CWE-476) . It affects Linux kernel versions from 2.6.39 onward and has been patched in 5.10.253, 5.15.203, 6.1.168 and others. CVE-2026-31424 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • What is the CVSS score for CVE-2026-31424?

    CVE-2026-31424 has a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10, rated Medium severity (CVSS 3.1). The vector string is CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H .

  • Is there a patch available for CVE-2026-31424?

    Yes — CVE-2026-31424 has been patched. Fixed versions include 5.10.253, 5.15.203, 6.1.168 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 2.6.39 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2026-31424 actively exploited?

    No — CVE-2026-31424 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.

  • What is NULL Pointer Dereference (CWE-476)?

    The product dereferences a pointer that it expects to be valid but is NULL, typically causing a crash. View CWE-476 on MITRE CWE →