CVE-2026-72451

CRITICALCVSS 9.8/10EPSS 0.21%

Last modified

CVE-2026-72451 is a critical-severity vulnerability rated 9.8/10 on the CVSS scale. In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: xfrm: Fix xfrm state cache insertion race The xfrm input state cache insertion code checks the validity of the state before acquiring the global xfrm_state_lock. Thus it's possible for someone else to kill the state after it passed the validity check, and then the insertion will add the dead state to the cache. Fix this by moving the validity check inside the lock. This entire function is called on the input path, where BH must be off (e.g., the caller of this function xfrm_input acquires its spinlocks without disabling BH). So there is no need to disable BH here or take the RCU read lock. Remove both and replace them with an assertion that trips if BH is accidentally enabled on some future calling path.. EPSS estimates a 0.21% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: xfrm: Fix xfrm state cache insertion race The xfrm input state cache insertion code checks the validity of the state before acquiring the global xfrm_state_lock. Thus it's possible for someone else to kill the state after it passed the validity check, and then the insertion will add the dead state to the cache. Fix this by moving the validity check inside the lock. This entire function is called on the input path, where BH must be off (e.g., the caller of this function xfrm_input acquires its spinlocks without disabling BH). So there is no need to disable BH here or take the RCU read lock. Remove both and replace them with an assertion that trips if BH is accidentally enabled on some future calling path.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1
9.8/10

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

EPSS Probability
0.21%

11.4th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Affected Software

Source: CNA advisory (CVE.org). NVD analysis pending.

VendorProductVersions
LinuxLinux>= 5e4334dc39443645415450163ff5ff1ee7e79784, < 6dab4dec9a49121d079981ac913569f232c06b06; >= 81a331a0e72ddc2f75092603d9577bd1a0ca23ad, < a1a3360a0c44b8b5c134db2a9d0667b61c9cf523; >= 81a331a0e72ddc2f75092603d9577bd1a0ca23ad, < 041859fd55c81ea55e76d051e39b7b79975b8c7d; >= 81a331a0e72ddc2f75092603d9577bd1a0ca23ad, < ddd3d0132920319ac426e12456013eadbae67e15; >= 6.12.13, < 6.12.97
LinuxLinux6.13

References

Timeline

Published
Last Modified
Status
Received

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-72451?
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: xfrm: Fix xfrm state cache insertion race The xfrm input state cache insertion code checks the validity of the state before acquiring the global xfrm_state_lock. Thus it's possible for someone else to kill the state after it passed the validity check, and then the insertion will add the dead state to the cache. Fix this by moving the validity check inside the lock. This entire function is called on the input path, where BH must be off (e.g., the caller of this function xfrm_input acquires its spinlocks without disabling BH). So there is no need to disable BH here or take the RCU read lock. Remove both and replace them with an assertion that trips if BH is accidentally enabled on some future calling path.
How severe is CVE-2026-72451?
CVE-2026-72451 has a CVSS score of 9.8/10 (CRITICAL severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.21% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How do I fix CVE-2026-72451?
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.

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Source: NVD / NIST