CVE-2026-64581 PUBLISHED

xfrm: fix sk_dst_cache double-free in xfrm_user_policy()

Assigner: Linux
Reserved: 19.07.2026 Published: 05.08.2026 Updated: 05.08.2026

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

xfrm: fix sk_dst_cache double-free in xfrm_user_policy()

xfrm_user_policy() clears the socket dst cache with __sk_dst_reset(), i.e. the non-atomic __sk_dst_set(sk, NULL): it reads sk_dst_cache with rcu_dereference_protected(), stores NULL and dst_release()s the old dst. That is only safe if no other thread modifies sk_dst_cache concurrently.

For a connected UDP socket that does not hold: the transmit fast path (udp_sendmsg -> sk_dst_check -> sk_dst_reset) resets the cache locklessly with an atomic xchg(). A per-socket policy change racing a send can make both sides observe the same old dst and each dst_release() it, dropping the socket's single reference twice and freeing the xfrm_dst bundle while it is still referenced:

BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in dst_release Write of size 4 at addr ffff88801897b6c0 by task exploit/155 Call Trace: ... dst_release (... ./include/linux/rcuref.h:109) xfrm_user_policy (./include/net/sock.h:2239 ./include/net/sock.h:2256 net/xfrm/xfrm_state.c:3053) do_ip_setsockopt (net/ipv4/ip_sockglue.c:1347) ip_setsockopt (net/ipv4/ip_sockglue.c:1417) do_sock_setsockopt (net/socket.c:2368) __sys_setsockopt (net/socket.c:2393) __x64_sys_setsockopt (net/socket.c:2396) do_syscall_64 (arch/x86/entry/syscall_64.c:94) entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe (arch/x86/entry/entry_64.S:121)

Reachable by an unprivileged user via a user+network namespace.

Use the atomic sk_dst_reset() so the cache is cleared and released with a single xchg(): whichever side wins releases the dst once, the other sees NULL and does nothing. Behaviour is otherwise unchanged.

Product Status

Vendor Linux
Product Linux
Versions Default: unaffected
  • affected from 2b06cdf3e688b98fcc9945873b5d42792bd4eee0 to 96b678d08268b5f5c6fc99d4289d9b7e334fc683 (excl.)
  • affected from 2b06cdf3e688b98fcc9945873b5d42792bd4eee0 to c283e9ada7fcb7dd4b10592623086b2e6d2f9925 (excl.)
  • Version 72f157be2f81910ae759bfe2e5c2256fc4625645 is affected
  • Version 9e9fe58a92a46c6d154d2901735bf230d91b8507 is affected
  • Version adc1ec6cdc20d430aa01b86497220709b9149466 is affected
  • Version b54033eb1cfd77aba471269ddd804ed8d3e35dea is affected
  • Version c9e82cb34c3c2ee895af01bc899c6ed0bc6eb04a is affected
  • Version 5eef9b51114fcc65651d671add52f267f91b9451 is affected
  • affected from 3.16.52 to 3.17 (excl.)
  • affected from 4.4.163 to 4.5 (excl.)
  • affected from 3.18.101 to 3.19 (excl.)
  • affected from 4.1.52 to 4.2 (excl.)
  • affected from 4.4.123 to 4.5 (excl.)
  • affected from 4.9.89 to 4.10 (excl.)
Vendor Linux
Product Linux
Versions Default: affected
  • Version 4.14 is affected
  • unaffected from 0 to 4.14 (excl.)
  • unaffected from 7.1.6 to 7.1.* (incl.)
  • unaffected from 7.2-rc4 to * (incl.)

References