CVE-2026-31424: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netfilter: x_tables: restrict xt_check_match/xt_check_target extensions for NFPRO...

Description

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.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

5.5/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

EPSS Probability

0.12%

1.9th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-476

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions	Update
Linux	Linux Kernel	>= 2.6.39, < 5.10.253	—
Linux	Linux Kernel	>= 5.11, < 5.15.203	—
Linux	Linux Kernel	>= 5.16, < 6.1.168	—
Linux	Linux Kernel	>= 6.2, < 6.6.134	—
Linux	Linux Kernel	>= 6.7, < 6.12.81	—
Linux	Linux Kernel	>= 6.13, < 6.18.22	—
Linux	Linux Kernel	>= 6.19, < 6.19.12	—
Linux	Linux Kernel	7.0	Rc1

References

Timeline

Published: Apr 13, 2026
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Analyzed

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-31424?

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.

How severe is CVE-2026-31424?

CVE-2026-31424 has a CVSS score of 5.5/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.12% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2026-31424?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.