CVE-2026-64189 netfilter: ipset: fix race between dump and ip_set_list resize
A race condition in the Linux kernel netfilter ipset module allows a use-after-free, potentially leading to system crashes or arbitrary code execution.
- 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
What is CVE-2026-64189?
CVE-2026-64189 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 20 Jul 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: ipset: fix race between dump and ip_set_list resize
The release path of ip_set_dump_do() and ip_set_dump_done() read inst->ip_set_list via ip_set_ref_netlink(), a plain rcu_dereference_raw() of the array pointer. These run from netlink_recvmsg() without the nfnl mutex and without an RCU read-side critical section.
A concurrent ip_set_create() can grow the array: it publishes the new array, calls synchronize_net() and then kvfree()s the old one. Since the dump paths read the array outside any RCU reader, synchronize_net() does not wait for them and the old array can be freed while they still index into it, causing a use-after-free.
The dumped set itself stays pinned via set->ref_netlink, so only the array load needs protecting. Take rcu_read_lock() around it, matching ip_set_get_byname() and __ip_set_put_byindex().
BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in ip_set_dump_do (net/netfilter/ipset/ip_set_core.c:1697) Read of size 8 at addr ffff88800b5c4018 by task exploit/150 Call Trace: ... kasan_report (mm/kasan/report.c:595) ip_set_dump_do (net/netfilter/ipset/ip_set_core.c:1697) netlink_dump (net/netlink/af_netlink.c:2325) netlink_recvmsg (net/netlink/af_netlink.c:1976) sock_recvmsg (net/socket.c:1159) __sys_recvfrom (net/socket.c:2315) ... Oops: general protection fault, probably for non-canonical address ... KASAN NOPTI KASAN: maybe wild-memory-access in range [0x02d6...d0-0x02d6...d7] RIP: 0010:ip_set_dump_do (net/netfilter/ipset/ip_set_core.c:1698) Kernel panic - not syncing: Fatal exception
Weakness: CWE-362
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-64189?
It affects 1 product.
Products include Linux kernel.
How do I fix CVE-2026-64189?
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-2026-64189 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-64189 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel
Sources
Also known as AZL-92868, BELL-CVE-2026-64189, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-64189, GHSA-38c9-7h78-x2jx, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-11-CVE-2026-64189, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-12-CVE-2026-64189 and 2 more.