---
id: CVE-2026-43026
title: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  netfilter: ctnetlink: zero expect NAT fields when CTA_EXPECT_NAT absent

  ctnetlink_alloc_expect() allocates expectations from a non-zeroing
  slab cache via nf_ct_expect_…
summary: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  netfilter: ctnetlink: zero expect NAT fields when CTA_EXPECT_NAT absent

  ctnetlink_alloc_expect() allocates expectations from a non-zeroing
  slab cache via nf_ct_expect_…
severity: medium
cvss: 5.5
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'
vendor: linux
product: linux_kernel
affected:
  - 'linux_kernel >= 3.4, < 5.10.253'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 5.11, < 5.15.203'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 5.16, < 6.1.168'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 6.2, < 6.6.134'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 6.7, < 6.12.81'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 6.13, < 6.18.22'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 6.19, < 6.19.12'
  - linux_kernel = 7.0
patched:
  - linux_kernel 6.19.12
published: '2026-05-01'
updated: '2026-10-15'
sourceUpdated: '2026-10-15T02:19:25.260'
source: NVD
sourceUrl: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-43026'
references:
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1c2ebdeff8d088a2e47ae25d7b38447249adace2'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2898080c054ea4d6ddfaaf21bbedbc229a9a8376'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/35177c6877134a21315f37d57a5577846225623e'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/929f7a9a7aad9404a5867216c3f8738232355b38'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a5a89db6981a1ddf2314bf50cb49db5a3146185f'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a64b7bf84b4d5ea54218c5d374ec87fff9000f43'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/bff0f4f06f12d6d9bc565a3e1378abd4f6f5ce36'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fd002ff2ea030cbfb0188a11b3c60ce7f84485f4'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-019113.html'
    label: 0b142b55-0307-4c5a-b3c9-f314f3fb7c5e
  - url: 'https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-082556.html'
    label: 0b142b55-0307-4c5a-b3c9-f314f3fb7c5e
  - url: 'https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-457936.html'
    label: 0b142b55-0307-4c5a-b3c9-f314f3fb7c5e
tags:
  - nvd
  - cve.org
epss: 0.00129
epssPercentile: 0.02536
ingestedAt: '2026-09-08T15:33:26.989Z'
---

## Overview

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

netfilter: ctnetlink: zero expect NAT fields when CTA_EXPECT_NAT absent

ctnetlink_alloc_expect() allocates expectations from a non-zeroing
slab cache via nf_ct_expect_alloc().  When CTA_EXPECT_NAT is not
present in the netlink message, saved_addr and saved_proto are
never initialized.  Stale data from a previous slab occupant can
then be dumped to userspace by ctnetlink_exp_dump_expect(), which
checks these fields to decide whether to emit CTA_EXPECT_NAT.

The safe sibling nf_ct_expect_init(), used by the packet path,
explicitly zeroes these fields.

Zero saved_addr, saved_proto and dir in the else branch, guarded
by IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_NF_NAT) since these fields only exist when
NAT is enabled.

Confirmed by priming the expect slab with NAT-bearing expectations,
freeing them, creating a new expectation without CTA_EXPECT_NAT,
and observing that the ctnetlink dump emits a spurious
CTA_EXPECT_NAT containing stale data from the prior allocation.

## Affected

- `linux_kernel >= 3.4, < 5.10.253`
- `linux_kernel >= 5.11, < 5.15.203`
- `linux_kernel >= 5.16, < 6.1.168`
- `linux_kernel >= 6.2, < 6.6.134`
- `linux_kernel >= 6.7, < 6.12.81`
- `linux_kernel >= 6.13, < 6.18.22`
- `linux_kernel >= 6.19, < 6.19.12`
- `linux_kernel = 7.0`

## Remediation

Upgrade past the affected range:

- `linux_kernel 6.19.12`