High · published April 22, 2026
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
net: fix fanout UAF in packet_release() via NETDEV_UP race
`packet_release()` has a race window where `NETDEV_UP` can re-register a
socket into a fanout group's `arr[]` array. The re-registration is not
cleaned up by `fanout_release()`, leaving a dangling pointer in the fanout
array.
`packet_release()` does NOT zero `po->num` in its `bind_lock` section.
After releasing `bind_lock`, `po->num` is still non-zero and `po->ifindex`
still matches the bound device. A concurrent `packet_notifier(NETDEV_UP)`
that already found the socket in `sklist` can re-register the hook.
For fanout sockets, this re-registration calls `__fanout_link(sk, po)`
which adds the socket back into `f->arr[]` and increments `f->num_members`,
but does NOT increment `f->sk_ref`.
The fix sets `po->num` to zero in `packet_release` while `bind_lock` is
held to prevent NETDEV_UP from linking, preventing the race window.
This bug was found following an additional audit with Claude Code based
on CVE-2025-38617.
| Product | Versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| linux/linux_kernel | ≥ 3.1.1, < 5.10.253 | 5.10.253 |
| linux/linux_kernel | ≥ 5.11, < 5.15.203 | 5.15.203 |
| linux/linux_kernel | ≥ 5.16, < 6.1.168 | 6.1.168 |
| linux/linux_kernel | ≥ 6.2, < 6.6.131 | 6.6.131 |
| linux/linux_kernel | ≥ 6.7, < 6.12.80 | 6.12.80 |
| linux/linux_kernel | ≥ 6.13, < 6.18.21 | 6.18.21 |
| linux/linux_kernel | ≥ 6.19, < 6.19.11 | 6.19.11 |
| linux/linux_kernel | all versions | — |
| linux/linux_kernel | all versions | — |
| linux/linux_kernel | all versions | — |
| linux/linux_kernel | all versions | — |
| linux/linux_kernel | all versions | — |
| linux/linux_kernel | all versions | — |
| linux/linux_kernel | all versions | — |
| linux/linux_kernel | all versions | — |