# CVE-2026-74660: netfilter: ebt_nflog: pin the NFLOG backend

> A use-after-free in the Linux kernel netfilter ebt_nflog module allows attackers to execute code or escalate privileges by triggering a race condition during module unloading.

- **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:** 22 Aug 2026
- **Updated:** 16 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2026-74660, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-74660, GHSA-rg85-mp39-w62j, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-74660

## What is CVE-2026-74660?

CVE-2026-74660 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux, published on 22 Aug 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: ebt_nflog: pin the NFLOG backend

nf_log_unregister() runs after the per-net teardown so its final RCU
grace period also drains readers that obtained the logger from a per-net
binding.  However, ebt_nflog passes an explicit ULOG log type to
nf_log_packet() without holding a reference on the selected logger module,
unlike the xt_NFLOG and nft_log frontends.

An ebtables nflog rule can therefore remain callable while nfnetlink_log
is unloaded.  The resulting interleaving is:

  CPU 0                               CPU 1
  nfnetlink_log_fini()
    unregister_pernet_subsys()
      kfree(nfnl_log_pernet(net))
                                      ebt_nflog_tg()
                                        nf_log_packet()
                                          nfulnl_log_packet()
                                            instance_lookup_get_rcu()

The global ULOG logger is still registered at this point, so CPU 1
dereferences the per-net state after CPU 0 has freed it.  KASAN reported:

  BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in instance_lookup_get_rcu
  Read of size 8 at addr ff110001052e6210 by task poc/92
  Call Trace:
   instance_lookup_get_rcu+0x1ce/0x1f0 [nfnetlink_log]
   nfulnl_log_packet+0x248/0x2fb0 [nfnetlink_log]
   nf_log_packet+0x204/0x300
   ebt_nflog_tg+0x351/0x550
   ebt_do_table+0xedf/0x22b0
  Allocated by task 90:
   __kmalloc_noprof+0x186/0x470
   ops_init+0x6d/0x420
   register_pernet_operations+0x2f6/0x670
   register_pernet_subsys+0x23/0x40
  Freed by task 93:
   kfree+0x131/0x3c0
   ops_undo_list+0x3e3/0x700
   unregister_pernet_operations+0x232/0x490
   unregister_pernet_subsys+0x1c/0x30
   nfnetlink_log_fini+0x34/0x450 [nfnetlink_log]

Acquire the ULOG logger module reference when an ebt_nflog rule is
validated and release it when the rule is destroyed.  Request the NFLOG
backend for legacy callers when needed, matching xt_NFLOG.  This prevents
module teardown until all ebt_nflog rules have stopped using the logger.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-74660?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-74660?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-74660 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-74660 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-74660 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-74660 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux, published on 22 Aug 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-2026-74660 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux. 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-2026-74660/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-74660/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-74660
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-74660
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-74660

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-74660/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.