---
id: CVE-2026-23278
title: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  netfilter: nf_tables: always walk all pending catchall elements

  During transaction processing we might have more than one catchall element:
  1 live catchall element and…
summary: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  netfilter: nf_tables: always walk all pending catchall elements

  During transaction processing we might have more than one catchall element:
  1 live catchall element and…
severity: high
cvss: 7.8
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'
vendor: linux
product: linux_kernel
affected:
  - 'linux_kernel >= 4.19.316, < 4.20'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 5.4.262, < 5.5'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 5.10.188, < 5.11'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 5.15.121, < 5.16'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 6.1.36, < 6.2'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 6.3.10, < 6.4'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 6.4.1, < 6.12.78'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 6.13, < 6.18.19'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 6.19, < 6.19.9'
  - linux_kernel = 7.0
patched:
  - linux_kernel 6.19.9
published: '2026-03-20'
updated: '2026-10-15'
sourceUpdated: '2026-10-15T02:18:46.430'
source: NVD
sourceUrl: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-23278'
references:
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4830fb44d12f586f3f544609e086933649a9175a'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/77c26b5056d693ffe5e9f040e946251cdb55ae55'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7cb9a23d7ae40a702577d3d8bacb7026f04ac2a9'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c4d4e86fda707d89eaba80e343321737375f8582'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/de47a88c6b807910f05703fb6605f7efdaa11417'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/eb0948fa13298212c5f8b30ee48efdae4389ab09'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-784472.html'
    label: 0b142b55-0307-4c5a-b3c9-f314f3fb7c5e
  - url: >-
      https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-23278.json
  - url: 'https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-23278'
  - url: 'https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2449570'
  - url: 'https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-23278'
  - url: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-23278'
  - url: >-
      https://lore.kernel.org/linux-cve-announce/2026032036-CVE-2026-23278-4dcc@gregkh/T
tags:
  - nvd
  - cve.org
  - csaf
  - vex
  - red-hat
  - score-dispute
epss: 0.0022
epssPercentile: 0.12475
ingestedAt: '2026-07-04T12:56:09.326Z'
ssvc:
  exploitation: none
  automatable: 'no'
  technicalImpact: total
  timestamp: '2026-10-16T15:07:21.674772Z'
cwe:
  - CWE-459
scores:
  nvd: 7.8
  vendor: 5.5
  cna: 7.8
---

## Overview

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

netfilter: nf_tables: always walk all pending catchall elements

During transaction processing we might have more than one catchall element:
1 live catchall element and 1 pending element that is coming as part of the
new batch.

If the map holding the catchall elements is also going away, its
required to toggle all catchall elements and not just the first viable
candidate.

Otherwise, we get:
 WARNING: ./include/net/netfilter/nf_tables.h:1281 at nft_data_release+0xb7/0xe0 [nf_tables], CPU#2: nft/1404
 RIP: 0010:nft_data_release+0xb7/0xe0 [nf_tables]
 [..]
 __nft_set_elem_destroy+0x106/0x380 [nf_tables]
 nf_tables_abort_release+0x348/0x8d0 [nf_tables]
 nf_tables_abort+0xcf2/0x3ac0 [nf_tables]
 nfnetlink_rcv_batch+0x9c9/0x20e0 [..]

## Affected

- `linux_kernel >= 4.19.316, < 4.20`
- `linux_kernel >= 5.4.262, < 5.5`
- `linux_kernel >= 5.10.188, < 5.11`
- `linux_kernel >= 5.15.121, < 5.16`
- `linux_kernel >= 6.1.36, < 6.2`
- `linux_kernel >= 6.3.10, < 6.4`
- `linux_kernel >= 6.4.1, < 6.12.78`
- `linux_kernel >= 6.13, < 6.18.19`
- `linux_kernel >= 6.19, < 6.19.9`
- `linux_kernel = 7.0`

## Remediation

Upgrade past the affected range:

- `linux_kernel 6.19.9`

## Vendor advisories

- **Red Hat VEX** · Moderate · affected: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 · no fix planned: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 · updated 2026-10-16 · [vex](https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-23278.json)