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Response snapshot Oct 30, 2026, 17:36 UTC

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VulnerabilityCVE-2026-45859

Linux kernel: netfilter: nfnetlink_queue: do shared-unconfirmed check before segmentation

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netfilter: nfnetlink_queue: do shared-unconfirmed check before segmentation Ulrich reports a regression with nfqueue: If an application did not set the 'F_GSO' capability flag and a gso packet with an unconfirmed nf_conn entry is received all packets are now dropped instead of queued, because the check happens after skb_gso_segment().

At a glance

Exploited
Not known
Severity
7.5 High (CVSS 3.1)
Chance of exploitation
0.7% in the next 30 days
Sources
1 source

What to do

Check the vendor advisory for affected versions and fixes.

Read NVD CVE-2026-45859 (opens a new tab)

What happened

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

netfilter: nfnetlink_queue: do shared-unconfirmed check before segmentation

Ulrich reports a regression with nfqueue:

If an application did not set the 'F_GSO' capability flag and a gso packet with an unconfirmed nf_conn entry is received all packets are now dropped instead of queued, because the check happens after skb_gso_segment(). In that case, we did have exclusive ownership of the skb and its associated conntrack entry. The elevated use count is due to skb_clone happening via skb_gso_segment().

Continue reading

Move the check so that its peformed vs. the aggregated packet.

Then, annotate the individual segments except the first one so we can do a 2nd check at reinject time.

For the normal case, where userspace does in-order reinjects, this avoids packet drops: first reinjected segment continues traversal and confirms entry, remaining segments observe the confirmed entry.

While at it, simplify nf_ct_drop_unconfirmed(): We only care about unconfirmed entries with a refcnt > 1, there is no need to special-case dying entries.

This only happens with UDP. With TCP, the only unconfirmed packet will be the TCP SYN, those aren't aggregated by GRO.

Next patch adds a udpgro test case to cover this scenario.

Scores and how they were measured

CVSS base severity

7.5

Version 3.1As of

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Measurement source (opens a new tab)

How bad it is if exploited. Not a prediction of exploitation or proof you are exposed.

EPSS probability

0.7%

Scored Percentile 51.3%

Model and measurement source (opens a new tab)

A model's estimate of exploitation in the next 30 days, not certainty or your own risk.

Related technology

Sources

  1. Primary source

    NVD CVE-2026-45859 (opens a new tab)

    NVD record: description, CVSS (the CNA score is preferred), affected products, and publication date. Not evidence of exploitation.

    Published Checked

  2. Primary source

    NVD CVE API 2.0 (opens a new tab)

    The NVD API page that supplied this CVE record.

    Published Date not suppliedChecked

  3. Primary source

    NVD CVE API 2.0 (opens a new tab)

    The NVD API page that supplied this CVE record.

    Published Date not suppliedChecked

  4. Primary source

    NVD CVE API 2.0 (opens a new tab)

    The NVD API page that supplied this CVE record.

    Published Date not suppliedChecked

  5. Primary source

    FIRST measured EPSS score (opens a new tab)

    Measured EPSS probability and percentile for CVE-2026-45859, scored 2026-10-30. This is a model estimate, not proof of exposure.

    Published Checked

Cite this record

For factual claims, cite the primary sources above; cite KEVWire for its compilation, dates, and classifications.

APA

KEVWire. (2026, October 30). Linux kernel: netfilter: nfnetlink_queue: do shared-unconfirmed check before segmentation (CVE-2026-45859). https://kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-45859

MLA

"Linux kernel: netfilter: nfnetlink_queue: do shared-unconfirmed check before segmentation (CVE-2026-45859)." KEVWire, 30 Oct. 2026, kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-45859.

Chicago

KEVWire. "Linux kernel: netfilter: nfnetlink_queue: do shared-unconfirmed check before segmentation (CVE-2026-45859)." Last modified October 30, 2026. https://kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-45859.

Evidence summary (plain text)

Linux kernel: netfilter: nfnetlink_queue: do shared-unconfirmed check before segmentation (May 27, 2026).
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

netfilter: nfnetlink_queue: do shared-unconfirmed check before segmentation

Ulrich reports a regression with nfqueue:

If an application did not set the 'F_GSO' capability flag and a gso
packet with an unconfirmed nf_conn entry is received all packets are
now dropped instead of queued, because the check happens after
skb_gso_segment().  In that case, we did have exclusive ownership
of the skb and its associated conntrack entry.  The elevated use
count is due to skb_clone happening via skb_gso_segment().
CVSS 7.5 (version 3.1; evidence as of Oct 30, 2026; https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-45859).
EPSS 0.7% for the following 30 days, scored Oct 30, 2026 (https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-45859&date=2026-10-30).
Sources:
NVD CVE-2026-45859: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-45859
NVD CVE API 2.0: https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?lastModStartDate=2026-10-30T13:06:45.042Z&lastModEndDate=2026-10-30T14:50:57.069Z&resultsPerPage=500&startIndex=0
NVD CVE API 2.0: https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?lastModStartDate=2026-10-30T12:22:16.957Z&lastModEndDate=2026-10-30T14:05:57.373Z&resultsPerPage=500&startIndex=0
NVD CVE API 2.0: https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?lastModStartDate=2026-10-30T11:45:59.009Z&lastModEndDate=2026-10-30T13:20:57.281Z&resultsPerPage=500&startIndex=0
FIRST measured EPSS score: https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-45859&date=2026-10-30
Record ID: CVE-2026-45859.
Record origin: Ingested record.
AI evidence: Not assessed.
Known exploitation: Not assessed.
Zero-day status: Not assessed. KEV membership alone does not establish zero-day status.
About this data

This record was ingested from a data source. Retrieved: Oct 30, 2026, 14:52 UTC. Ingestion is not an independent editorial investigation.

NVD status: Modified. Publication in the NVD is not evidence of exploitation.

A CISA KEV listing documents known exploitation, not necessarily a zero-day; absence from the catalog does not prove a vulnerability has never been exploited.

Technology tags indicate possible relevance, not verified exposure. Confirm the affected product, version, and configuration against your own inventory; KEVWire does not scan your systems.

A personal reading checklist on this device, not verified remediation.

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Record details

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