CVE-2026-74561

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: nexthop: avoid unlocked f6i_list walk in nh_rt_cache_flush nh_rt_cache_flush() walks nh->f6i_list during an RTNL-serialized nexthop replace without holding nh->lock, racing the unlocked IPv6 route add/delete that mutate the list under nh->lock and free fib6_info entries (nh_rt_cache_flush() is inlined into rtm_new_nexthop()): BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in nh_rt_cache_flush (net/ipv4/nexthop.c:2243) Read of size 8 at addr ffff888012953e18 by task exploit/146 nh_rt_cache_flush (net/ipv4/nexthop.c:2243) replace_nexthop (net/ipv4/nexthop.c:2610) rtm_new_nexthop (net/ipv4/nexthop.c:3323) rtnetlink_rcv_msg (net/core/rtnetlink.c:7076) Unlike the other f6i_list walks, this one bumps each route's sernum via fib6_update_sernum_upto_root(), which needs tb6_lock; taking nh->lock around it would invert the established tb6_lock -> nh->lock order and deadlock. As the only purpose is to invalidate cached dsts, bump the IPv6 sernum for the whole netns with rt_genid_bump_ipv6() instead, mirroring the rt_cache_flush() already done for IPv4 just above.

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2026-08-15
Last modified 2026-08-15
Patch available
Yes

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 6.16 and later are affected. Fixed in 7.1.8, 7.2-rc6 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 6.16
Fixed in
✓ 7.1.8 7.1.x ✓ 7.2-rc6

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2026-74561?

    CVE-2026-74561 is a unscored severity Linux kernel vulnerability . It affects Linux kernel versions from 6.16 onward and has been patched in 7.1.8 and 7.2-rc6. CVE-2026-74561 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • Is there a patch available for CVE-2026-74561?

    Yes. CVE-2026-74561 has been patched. Fixed versions include 7.1.8 and 7.2-rc6. If you are running Linux kernel 6.16 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2026-74561 actively exploited?

    No. CVE-2026-74561 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.