UBUNTU-CVE-2026-46116
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: xfrm: defensively unhash xfrm_state lists in __xfrm_state_delete KASAN reproduces a slab-use-after-free in __xfrm_state_delete()'s hlist_del_rcu calls under syzkaller load on linux-6.12.y stable (reproduced on 6.12.47, also reachable via the same code path on torvalds/master and on the ipsec tree). Nine unique signatures cluster in the xfrm_state lifecycle, the load-bearing one being: BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in __hlist_del include/linux/list.h:990 [inline] BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in hlist_del_rcu include/linux/rculist.h:516 [inline] BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in __xfrm_state_delete net/xfrm/xfrm_state.c Write of size 8 at addr ffff8881198bcb70 by task kworker/u8:9/435 Workqueue: netns cleanup_net Call Trace: __hlist_del / hlist_del_rcu __xfrm_state_delete xfrm_state_delete xfrm_state_flush xfrm_state_fini ops_exit_list cleanup_net The other observed signatures hit the same slab object from __xfrm_state_lookup, xfrm_alloc_spi, __xfrm_state_insert and an OOB write variant of __xfrm_state_delete, all on the byseq/byspi hash chains. __xfrm_state_delete() guards its byseq and byspi unhashes with value-based predicates: if (x->km.seq) hlist_del_rcu(&x->byseq); if (x->id.spi) hlist_del_rcu(&x->byspi); while everywhere else in the file (e.g. state_cache, state_cache_input) the safer hlist_unhashed() check is used. xfrm_alloc_spi() sets x->id.spi = newspi inside xfrm_state_lock and then immediately inserts into byspi, but a path that observes x->id.spi != 0 outside of xfrm_state_lock can still skip-or-hit the byspi unhash inconsistently with whether x is actually on the list. The same holds for x->km.seq versus byseq, and the bydst/bysrc unhashes have no predicate at all, so a second __xfrm_state_delete() on the same object writes through LIST_POISON pprev. The defensive change here: - Use hlist_del_init_rcu() instead of hlist_del_rcu() on bydst, bysrc, byseq and byspi so a second deletion is a no-op rather than a write through LIST_POISON pprev. The byseq/byspi nodes are already initialised in xfrm_state_alloc(). - Test hlist_unhashed() rather than the value predicate for byseq/byspi, so the unhash decision tracks list state rather than mutable scalar fields. Empirical verification: applied this patch on top of v6.12.47, rebuilt, and re-ran the same syzkaller harness for 1h16m on a previously-crashy configuration that produced ~100 hits each of slab-use-after-free Read in xfrm_alloc_spi / Read in __xfrm_state_lookup / Write in __xfrm_state_delete. After the patch, 7.1M execs across 32 VMs at ~1550 exec/sec produced zero xfrm_state UAF/OOB hits. /proc/slabinfo confirms the xfrm_state slab is actively allocated and freed during the run (~143 KiB resident), so the fuzzer is still exercising those code paths -- they just no longer crash. Reproduction: - Linux 6.12.47 x86_64 + KASAN_GENERIC + KASAN_INLINE + KCOV - syzkaller @ 746545b8b1e4c3a128db8652b340d3df90ce61db - 32 QEMU/KVM VMs x 2 vCPU on AWS c5.metal bare metal - 9 unique signatures collected in ~9h, all within xfrm_state lifecycle
02 / AFFECTED SOFTWARE
Affected packages
11 explicit affected versions
4 explicit affected versions
53 explicit affected versions
116 explicit affected versions
89 explicit affected versions
50 explicit affected versions
6 explicit affected versions
12 explicit affected versions
24 explicit affected versions
2 explicit affected versions
19 explicit affected versions
10 explicit affected versions
6 explicit affected versions
100 explicit affected versions
61 explicit affected versions
85 explicit affected versions
84 explicit affected versions
91 explicit affected versions
86 explicit affected versions
10 explicit affected versions
76 explicit affected versions
10 explicit affected versions
37 explicit affected versions
26 explicit affected versions
90 explicit affected versions
191 explicit affected versions
7 explicit affected versions
84 explicit affected versions
45 explicit affected versions
40 explicit affected versions
13 explicit affected versions
85 explicit affected versions
44 explicit affected versions
120 explicit affected versions
35 explicit affected versions
1 explicit affected versions
51 explicit affected versions
50 explicit affected versions
18 explicit affected versions
42 explicit affected versions
118 explicit affected versions
1 explicit affected versions
64 explicit affected versions
13 explicit affected versions
4 explicit affected versions
121 explicit affected versions
23 explicit affected versions
52 explicit affected versions
124 explicit affected versions
1 explicit affected versions
1 explicit affected versions
21 explicit affected versions
7 explicit affected versions
16 explicit affected versions
10 explicit affected versions
20 explicit affected versions
76 explicit affected versions
7 explicit affected versions
48 explicit affected versions
8 explicit affected versions
7 explicit affected versions
12 explicit affected versions
11 explicit affected versions
111 explicit affected versions
7 explicit affected versions
12 explicit affected versions
14 explicit affected versions
10 explicit affected versions
1 explicit affected versions
7 explicit affected versions
17 explicit affected versions
104 explicit affected versions
12 explicit affected versions
105 explicit affected versions
12 explicit affected versions
41 explicit affected versions
9 explicit affected versions
9 explicit affected versions
120 explicit affected versions
45 explicit affected versions
16 explicit affected versions
6 explicit affected versions
17 explicit affected versions
27 explicit affected versions
34 explicit affected versions
10 explicit affected versions
37 explicit affected versions
10 explicit affected versions
11 explicit affected versions
13 explicit affected versions
39 explicit affected versions
3 explicit affected versions
10 explicit affected versions
11 explicit affected versions
68 explicit affected versions
1 explicit affected versions
1 explicit affected versions
26 explicit affected versions
10 explicit affected versions
13 explicit affected versions
144 explicit affected versions
37 explicit affected versions
29 explicit affected versions
111 explicit affected versions
13 explicit affected versions
12 explicit affected versions
96 explicit affected versions
41 explicit affected versions
40 explicit affected versions
8 explicit affected versions
1 explicit affected versions
100 explicit affected versions
92 explicit affected versions
55 explicit affected versions
33 explicit affected versions
23 explicit affected versions
60 explicit affected versions
10 explicit affected versions
20 explicit affected versions
188 explicit affected versions
19 explicit affected versions
11 explicit affected versions
5 explicit affected versions
12 explicit affected versions
11 explicit affected versions
7 explicit affected versions
12 explicit affected versions
10 explicit affected versions
16 explicit affected versions
138 explicit affected versions
17 explicit affected versions
2 explicit affected versions
5 explicit affected versions
77 explicit affected versions
13 explicit affected versions
132 explicit affected versions
93 explicit affected versions
165 explicit affected versions
154 explicit affected versions
10 explicit affected versions
26 explicit affected versions
39 explicit affected versions
1 explicit affected versions
69 explicit affected versions
35 explicit affected versions
48 explicit affected versions
11 explicit affected versions
10 explicit affected versions
13 explicit affected versions
46 explicit affected versions
10 explicit affected versions
139 explicit affected versions
78 explicit affected versions
16 explicit affected versions
91 explicit affected versions
50 explicit affected versions
116 explicit affected versions
3 explicit affected versions
132 explicit affected versions
93 explicit affected versions
1 explicit affected versions
7 explicit affected versions
2 explicit affected versions
15 explicit affected versions
51 explicit affected versions
16 explicit affected versions
92 explicit affected versions
18 explicit affected versions
43 explicit affected versions
12 explicit affected versions
71 explicit affected versions
80 explicit affected versions
8 explicit affected versions
7 explicit affected versions
27 explicit affected versions
3 explicit affected versions
66 explicit affected versions
121 explicit affected versions
1 explicit affected versions
8 explicit affected versions
1 explicit affected versions
98 explicit affected versions
43 explicit affected versions
8 explicit affected versions
55 explicit affected versions
3 explicit affected versions
5 explicit affected versions
8 explicit affected versions
6 explicit affected versions
1 explicit affected versions
10 explicit affected versions
7 explicit affected versions
46 explicit affected versions
110 explicit affected versions
13 explicit affected versions
72 explicit affected versions
7 explicit affected versions
140 explicit affected versions
94 explicit affected versions
10 explicit affected versions
12 explicit affected versions
9 explicit affected versions
167 explicit affected versions
39 explicit affected versions
108 explicit affected versions
80 explicit affected versions
56 explicit affected versions
44 explicit affected versions
16 explicit affected versions
3 explicit affected versions
13 explicit affected versions
26 explicit affected versions
45 explicit affected versions
37 explicit affected versions
50 explicit affected versions
14 explicit affected versions
38 explicit affected versions
9 explicit affected versions
17 explicit affected versions
11 explicit affected versions
39 explicit affected versions
18 explicit affected versions
14 explicit affected versions
4 explicit affected versions
91 explicit affected versions
92 explicit affected versions
6 explicit affected versions
7 explicit affected versions
97 explicit affected versions
121 explicit affected versions
81 explicit affected versions
10 explicit affected versions
1 explicit affected versions
1 explicit affected versions
1 explicit affected versions
80 explicit affected versions
79 explicit affected versions
7 explicit affected versions
13 explicit affected versions
43 explicit affected versions
77 explicit affected versions
16 explicit affected versions
119 explicit affected versions
10 explicit affected versions
8 explicit affected versions
45 explicit affected versions
88 explicit affected versions
14 explicit affected versions
4 explicit affected versions
78 explicit affected versions
14 explicit affected versions
11 explicit affected versions
1 explicit affected versions
69 explicit affected versions
123 explicit affected versions
19 explicit affected versions
6 explicit affected versions
39 explicit affected versions
80 explicit affected versions
03 / CONNECTIONS
Connected vulnerabilities
04 / EVIDENCE
Source records
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: xfrm: defensively unhash xfrm_state lists in __xfrm_state_delete KASAN reproduces a slab-use-after-free in __xfrm_state_delete()'s hlist_del_rcu calls under syzkaller load on linux-6.12.y stable (reproduced on 6.12.47, also reachable via the same code path on torvalds/master and on the ipsec tree). Nine unique signatures cluster in the xfrm_state lifecycle, the load-bearing one being: BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in __hlist_del include/linux/list.h:990 [inline] BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in hlist_del_rcu include/linux/rculist.h:516 [inline] BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in __xfrm_state_delete net/xfrm/xfrm_state.c Write of size 8 at addr ffff8881198bcb70 by task kworker/u8:9/435 Workqueue: netns cleanup_net Call Trace: __hlist_del / hlist_del_rcu __xfrm_state_delete xfrm_state_delete xfrm_state_flush xfrm_state_fini ops_exit_list cleanup_net The other observed signatures hit the same slab object from __xfrm_state_lookup, xfrm_alloc_spi, __xfrm_state_insert and an OOB write variant of __xfrm_state_delete, all on the byseq/byspi hash chains. __xfrm_state_delete() guards its byseq and byspi unhashes with value-based predicates: if (x->km.seq) hlist_del_rcu(&x->byseq); if (x->id.spi) hlist_del_rcu(&x->byspi); while everywhere else in the file (e.g. state_cache, state_cache_input) the safer hlist_unhashed() check is used. xfrm_alloc_spi() sets x->id.spi = newspi inside xfrm_state_lock and then immediately inserts into byspi, but a path that observes x->id.spi != 0 outside of xfrm_state_lock can still skip-or-hit the byspi unhash inconsistently with whether x is actually on the list. The same holds for x->km.seq versus byseq, and the bydst/bysrc unhashes have no predicate at all, so a second __xfrm_state_delete() on the same object writes through LIST_POISON pprev. The defensive change here: - Use hlist_del_init_rcu() instead of hlist_del_rcu() on bydst, bysrc, byseq and byspi so a second deletion is a no-op rather than a write through LIST_POISON pprev. The byseq/byspi nodes are already initialised in xfrm_state_alloc(). - Test hlist_unhashed() rather than the value predicate for byseq/byspi, so the unhash decision tracks list state rather than mutable scalar fields. Empirical verification: applied this patch on top of v6.12.47, rebuilt, and re-ran the same syzkaller harness for 1h16m on a previously-crashy configuration that produced ~100 hits each of slab-use-after-free Read in xfrm_alloc_spi / Read in __xfrm_state_lookup / Write in __xfrm_state_delete. After the patch, 7.1M execs across 32 VMs at ~1550 exec/sec produced zero xfrm_state UAF/OOB hits. /proc/slabinfo confirms the xfrm_state slab is actively allocated and freed during the run (~143 KiB resident), so the fuzzer is still exercising those code paths -- they just no longer crash. Reproduction: - Linux 6.12.47 x86_64 + KASAN_GENERIC + KASAN_INLINE + KCOV - syzkaller @ 746545b8b1e4c3a128db8652b340d3df90ce61db - 32 QEMU/KVM VMs x 2 vCPU on AWS c5.metal bare metal - 9 unique signatures collected in ~9h, all within xfrm_state lifecycle
05 / REFERENCES
Further evidence
- https://git.kernel.org/linus/14acf9652e5690de3c7486c6db5fb8dafd0a32a3
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/14acf9652e5690de3c7486c6db5fb8dafd0a32a3
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/26edb0a3c99f9d958c212be68b21f1221614dcf0
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4980162de555cb838f1a189ce7d2cbf5d2e7b050
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a2e2d08fb070fab4947447171f1c4e3ca5a188e5
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b4a53add2fa8f1b5aa17d4c5686c320785fab182
- https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2026-46116
- https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8566-1
- https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8567-1
- https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8568-1
- https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8569-1
- https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8574-1
- https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8574-2
- https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8574-3
- https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8593-1
- https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8595-1
- https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8595-2
- https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8595-3
- https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8596-1
- https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8603-1
- https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8606-1
- https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8607-1
- https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8608-1
- https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8609-1
- https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8618-1
- https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8619-1
- https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-46116