CVE-2026-53080 — net/sched: cls_fw: fix NULL dereference of "old" filters before change()
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/sched: cls_fw: fix NULL dereference of "old" filters before change() Like pointed out by Sashiko [1], since commit ed76f5edccc9 ("net: sched: protect filter_chain list with filter_chain_lock mutex") TC filters are added to a shared block and published to datapath before their ->change() function is called. This is a problem for cls_fw: an invalid filter created with the "old" method can still classify some packets before it is destroyed by the validation logic added by Xiang. Therefore, insisting with repeated runs of the following script: # ip link add dev crash0 type dummy # ip link set dev crash0 up # mausezahn crash0 -c 100000 -P 10 \ > -A 4.3.2.1 -B 1.2.3.4 -t udp "dp=1234" -q & # sleep 1 # tc qdisc add dev crash0 egress_block 1 clsact # tc filter add block 1 protocol ip prio 1 matchall \ > action skbedit mark 65536 continue # tc filter add block 1 protocol ip prio 2 fw # ip link del dev crash0 can still make fw_classify() hit the WARN_ON() in [2]: WARNING: ./include/net/pkt_cls.h:88 at fw_classify+0x244/0x250 [cls_fw], CPU#18: mausezahn/1399 Modules linked in: cls_fw(E) act_skbedit(E) CPU: 18 UID: 0 PID: 1399 Comm: mausezahn Tainted: G E 7.0.0-rc6-virtme #17 PREEMPT(full) Tainted: [E]=UNSIGNED_MODULE Hardware name: Red Hat KVM, BIOS 1.16.3-2.el9 04/01/2014 RIP: 0010:fw_classify+0x244/0x250 [cls_fw] Code: 5c 49 c7 45 00 00 00 00 00 41 5d 41 5e 41 5f 5d c3 cc cc cc cc 5b b8 ff ff ff ff 41 5c 41 5d 41 5e 41 5f 5d c3 cc cc cc cc 90 <0f> 0b 90 eb a0 0f 1f 80 00 00 00 00 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 RSP: 0018:ffffd1b7026bf8a8 EFLAGS: 00010202 RAX: ffff8c5ac9c60800 RBX: ffff8c5ac99322c0 RCX: 0000000000000004 RDX: 0000000000000001 RSI: ffff8c5b74d7a000 RDI: ffff8c5ac8284f40 RBP: ffffd1b7026bf8d0 R08: 0000000000000000 R09: ffffd1b7026bf9b0 R10: 00000000ffffffff R11: 0000000000000000 R12: 0000000000010000 R13: ffffd1b7026bf930 R14: ffff8c5ac8284f40 R15: 0000000000000000 FS: 00007fca40c37740(0000) GS:ffff8c5b74d7a000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000 CS: 0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033 CR2: 00007fca40e822a0 CR3: 0000000005ca0001 CR4: 0000000000172ef0 Call Trace: <TASK> tcf_classify+0x17d/0x5c0 tc_run+0x9d/0x150 __dev_queue_xmit+0x2ab/0x14d0 ip_finish_output2+0x340/0x8f0 ip_output+0xa4/0x250 raw_sendmsg+0x147d/0x14b0 __sys_sendto+0x1cc/0x1f0 __x64_sys_sendto+0x24/0x30 do_syscall_64+0x126/0xf80 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f RIP: 0033:0x7fca40e822ba Code: d8 64 89 02 48 c7 c0 ff ff ff ff eb b8 0f 1f 00 f3 0f 1e fa 41 89 ca 64 8b 04 25 18 00 00 00 85 c0 75 15 b8 2c 00 00 00 0f 05 <48> 3d 00 f0 ff ff 77 7e c3 0f 1f 44 00 00 41 54 48 83 ec 30 44 89 RSP: 002b:00007ffc248a42c8 EFLAGS: 00000246 ORIG_RAX: 000000000000002c RAX: ffffffffffffffda RBX: 000055ef233289d0 RCX: 00007fca40e822ba RDX: 000000000000001e RSI: 000055ef23328c30 RDI: 0000000000000003 RBP: 000055ef233289d0 R08: 00007ffc248a42d0 R09: 0000000000000010 R10: 0000000000000000 R11: 0000000000000246 R12: 000000000000001e R13: 00000000000186a0 R14: 0000000000000000 R15: 00007fca41043000 </TASK> irq event stamp: 1045778 hardirqs last enabled at (1045784): [<ffffffff864ec042>] __up_console_sem+0x52/0x60 hardirqs last disabled at (1045789): [<ffffffff864ec027>] __up_console_sem+0x37/0x60 softirqs last enabled at (1045426): [<ffffffff874d48c7>] __alloc_skb+0x207/0x260 softirqs last disabled at (1045434): [<ffffffff874fe8f8>] __dev_queue_xmit+0x78/0x14d0 Then, because of the value in the packet's mark, dereference on 'q->handle' with NULL 'q' occurs: BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000038 [...] RIP: 0010:fw_classify+0x1fe/0x250 [cls_fw] [...] Skip "old-style" classification on shared blocks, so that the NULL dereference is fixed and WARN_ON() is not hit anymore in the short lifetime of invalid cls_fw "old-style" filters. [1] https://sashiko.dev/#/patchset/2 ---truncated---
Who exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
How the score was calculated
- EPSS 0.1% (30-day exploitation probability)+0
- Technical severity (medium)+3
The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).
Triage
Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.
Remediation
Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
First 24 hours
Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.
- Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Linux Linux, Linux Linux Kernel).
- Apply the fixed version or the patch documented under Remediation.
- Search available logs for exploit probes matching the vulnerability class (memory corruption), errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux |
≥ ed76f5edccc98fa66f2337f0b3b255d6e1a568b7 and < a719275da488835e987d28effc04679b4aace3a0≥ ed76f5edccc98fa66f2337f0b3b255d6e1a568b7 and < c205da704c84eeb4247d770150440294fd547049≥ ed76f5edccc98fa66f2337f0b3b255d6e1a568b7 and < 5dcce34c57d5e5990869384d69deeb9414bf9b92≥ ed76f5edccc98fa66f2337f0b3b255d6e1a568b7 and < 5df49f0579f7e625f2358a219d31fbc7621be799≥ ed76f5edccc98fa66f2337f0b3b255d6e1a568b7 and < 829808cbf8cf8a6d07a0e67a5ea2c3fcd63a9e5c≥ ed76f5edccc98fa66f2337f0b3b255d6e1a568b7 and < 41845bc5bb64f3d615abe575ad655b5e7f193634≥ ed76f5edccc98fa66f2337f0b3b255d6e1a568b7 and < 4fabcfea7a9dd159df32c5df6587fe858cb0d748≥ ed76f5edccc98fa66f2337f0b3b255d6e1a568b7 and < 65782b2db7321d5f97c16718c4c7f6c7205a56be and 1 moreversion 5.1 |
Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | ≥ 5.1 and < 5.10.259≥ 5.11 and < 5.15.210≥ 5.16 and < 6.1.176≥ 6.2 and < 6.6.143≥ 6.7 and < 6.12.93≥ 6.13 and < 6.18.35≥ 6.19 and < 7.0.10 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.5 | CVSS 3.1 | Medium | 1.8 | 3.6 | nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 5.5 | CVSS 3.1 | Medium | — | — | GitHub, Inc. via GitHub Security Advisories |
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H (score shown at the top: nvd@nist.gov) Weakness MITRE
Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.
EPSS over time FIRST
Oct 13, 2026 → Oct 14, 2026 · 2 reading(s) · max 0.16%
Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.
- Local/physical vector: focus on endpoint telemetry (EDR) from affected hosts.
- Correlate service crashes/restarts with inbound traffic; repeated crashes may indicate attempts.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- Source status changed · Analyzed → Modified
- Affected products added · linux/linux
- Record published
- Fix documented
- CVSS changed · 5.5
- Source status changed · → Analyzed
- Record created in this database
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 2× References added · Oct 15, 2026 – Oct 15, 2026
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026
References
11 on the record
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/a719275da488835e987d28effc04679b4aace3a0
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/829808cbf8cf8a6d07a0e67a5ea2c3fcd63a9e5c
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/4fabcfea7a9dd159df32c5df6587fe858cb0d748
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/65782b2db7321d5f97c16718c4c7f6c7205a56be
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/c205da704c84eeb4247d770150440294fd547049
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/5df49f0579f7e625f2358a219d31fbc7621be799
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/41845bc5bb64f3d615abe575ad655b5e7f193634
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/5dcce34c57d5e5990869384d69deeb9414bf9b92
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-53080
- github.com/advisories/GHSA-6vxh-r6p9-w9ch
- cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-784472.html
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- Critical CVE-2026-99999 ipv4: validate checksum_start before completing checksum 13h
- Unknown CVE-2026-98432 ipv4: free inet_opt and ireq_opt after an RCU grace period 13h
- Unknown CVE-2026-98424 wifi: cfg80211: undo netns switch if renaming the wiphy fails 1d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98425 wifi: mac80211: don't warn when an IBSS has no channel to scan 1d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98426 wifi: mwifiex: fix IRQ leak using wrong index in MSI-X error path 1d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98427 net/sched: codel: bound the dropping loop per dequeue call 1d
Not in any source we poll
Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.
- No CISA SSVC assessment.
- No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
- No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
- No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record
Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.
What should defenders know first?
CVE-2026-53080 is "net/sched: cls_fw: fix NULL dereference of "old" filters before change()", rated Medium. It affects Linux (Linux); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 5.5 describes technical severity. EPSS 0.11% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.
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