# CVE-2026-97609: netfilter: cttimeout: prevent UAF during module unload

> A use-after-free in the Linux kernel netfilter module allows attackers to execute arbitrary code or escalate privileges during module unload.

- **Severity:** High 7.0 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/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:** 25 Sep 2026
- **Updated:** 21 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-104849, BELL-CVE-2026-97609, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-97609, GHSA-5m7p-36vh-9w8v, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-97609

## What is CVE-2026-97609?

CVE-2026-97609 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux, published on 25 Sep 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: cttimeout: prevent UAF during module unload

nf_ct_set_timeout() protects the timeout hook dereference and policy lookup
with rcu_read_lock(). cttimeout_exit(), however, unregisters the per-net
operations before it clears the hook.

This allows the following interleaving:

  CPU 0                              CPU 1
  cttimeout_exit()                   nf_ct_set_timeout()
    unregister_pernet_subsys()         rcu_read_lock()
      kfree(pernet)                     h = nf_ct_timeout_hook
                                        h->timeout_find_get()
                                          nfct_timeout_pernet()

The hook still points to ctnl_timeout_find_get() when CPU 1 looks up the
already freed per-net timeout list. KASAN reported:

  BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in ctnl_timeout_find_get
  Read of size 8 by task poc/90
  Call Trace:
   ctnl_timeout_find_get+0x271/0x2a0 [nfnetlink_cttimeout]
   nf_ct_set_timeout+0x7b/0x3c0
   xt_ct_tg_check+0x724/0xb20
   xt_check_target+0x234/0xa90
   do_ipt_set_ctl+0x570/0x1270
  Allocated by task 89:
   __kmalloc_noprof+0x16e/0x460
   ops_init+0x6d/0x420
   register_pernet_operations+0x2f6/0x670
  Freed by task 91:
   kfree+0x131/0x390
   ops_undo_list+0x3d4/0x730
   unregister_pernet_operations+0x232/0x490
   unregister_pernet_subsys+0x1c/0x30
   cttimeout_exit+0x52/0x970 [nfnetlink_cttimeout]

Clear the hook and wait for existing readers before unregistering the
per-net operations. This blocks new policy lookups and ensures readers that
observed the hook finish before the per-net storage is freed.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-97609?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-97609?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-97609 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-97609 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-97609 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-97609 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux, published on 25 Sep 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-2026-97609 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-2026-97609/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-97609/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-97609
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-97609
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-97609

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-97609/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.