CVE-2026-43481 net-shapers: don't free reply skb after genlmsg_reply()

What is CVE-2026-43481?

CVE-2026-43481 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 13 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:

net-shapers: don't free reply skb after genlmsg_reply()

genlmsg_reply() hands the reply skb to netlink, and netlink_unicast() consumes it on all return paths, whether the skb is queued successfully or freed on an error path.

net_shaper_nl_get_doit() and net_shaper_nl_cap_get_doit() currently jump to free_msg after genlmsg_reply() fails and call nlmsg_free(msg), which can hit the same skb twice.

Return the genlmsg_reply() error directly and keep free_msg only for pre-reply failures.

Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-43481?

It affects 1 product.

Products include Linux kernel.

How do I fix CVE-2026-43481?

Apply the vendor's patch.

Upgrade to the fixed version. These bugs are found with fuzzing and sanitisers and avoided by memory-safe languages. More about Use after free.

Is CVE-2026-43481 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-43481 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel

• CVE-2026-53266 Linux Kernel Out-of-Bounds Write Exploited High 8.8
• CVE-2013-6282 Linux Kernel Improper Input Validation Exploited High 8.8
• CVE-2022-0185 Linux Kernel Heap-Based Buffer Overflow Exploited High 8.4
• CVE-2013-2094 Linux Kernel Privilege Escalation Exploited High 8.4
• CVE-2026-53362 Linux Kernel Unspecified Exploited High 7.8

All Linux kernel vulnerabilities

Sources

• CVE record
• NVD
• OSV
• GitHub advisory
• How this page is made

Also known as BELL-CVE-2026-43481, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-43481, GHSA-cjr4-fwc8-qf28, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-43481.