# CVE-2026-43027: netfilter: nf_conntrack_helper: pass helper to expect cleanup

> A use-after-free in the Linux kernel netfilter subsystem allows attackers to trigger memory corruption, potentially leading to code execution or privilege escalation.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 1 May 2026
- **Updated:** 15 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2026-43027, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-43027, GHSA-f42g-qv35-qm2v, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-11-CVE-2026-43027, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2204-CVE-2026-43027, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2404-CVE-2026-43027, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-43027

## What is CVE-2026-43027?

CVE-2026-43027 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 1 May 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

netfilter: nf_conntrack_helper: pass helper to expect cleanup

nf_conntrack_helper_unregister() calls nf_ct_expect_iterate_destroy()
to remove expectations belonging to the helper being unregistered.
However, it passes NULL instead of the helper pointer as the data
argument, so expect_iter_me() never matches any expectation and all
of them survive the cleanup.

After unregister returns, nfnl_cthelper_del() frees the helper
object immediately.  Subsequent expectation dumps or packet-driven
init_conntrack() calls then dereference the freed exp->helper,
causing a use-after-free.

Pass the actual helper pointer so expectations referencing it are
properly destroyed before the helper object is freed.

  BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in string+0x38f/0x430
  Read of size 1 at addr ffff888003b14d20 by task poc/103
  Call Trace:
   string+0x38f/0x430
   vsnprintf+0x3cc/0x1170
   seq_printf+0x17a/0x240
   exp_seq_show+0x2e5/0x560
   seq_read_iter+0x419/0x1280
   proc_reg_read+0x1ac/0x270
   vfs_read+0x179/0x930
   ksys_read+0xef/0x1c0
  Freed by task 103:
  The buggy address is located 32 bytes inside of
   freed 192-byte region [ffff888003b14d00, ffff888003b14dc0)

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-43027?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-43027?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-43027 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-43027 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel

- [CVE-2026-53266](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53266/): Linux Kernel Out-of-Bounds Write (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-6282](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-6282/): Linux Kernel Improper Input Validation (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2022-0185](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0185/): Linux Kernel Heap-Based Buffer Overflow (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-2094](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-2094/): Linux Kernel Privilege Escalation (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-53362](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53362/): Linux Kernel Unspecified (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-43027 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-43027 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 1 May 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-43027 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux kernel. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-43027/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-43027/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-43027
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-43027
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-43027

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-43027/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.