---
id: CVE-2026-52970
title: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  netfilter: nft_ct: fix missing expect put in obj eval

  nft_ct_expect_obj_eval() allocates an expectation and may call
  nf_ct_expect_related(), but never drops its local …
summary: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  netfilter: nft_ct: fix missing expect put in obj eval

  nft_ct_expect_obj_eval() allocates an expectation and may call
  nf_ct_expect_related(), but never drops its local …
severity: medium
cvss: 5.5
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'
vendor: linux
product: linux_kernel
affected:
  - 'linux_kernel >= 5.3, < 5.10.258'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 5.11, < 5.15.209'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 5.16, < 6.1.175'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 6.2, < 6.6.141'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 6.7, < 6.12.91'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 6.13, < 6.18.33'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 6.19, < 7.0.10'
  - linux_kernel = 7.1
patched:
  - linux_kernel 7.0.10
published: '2026-06-24'
updated: '2026-09-08'
sourceUpdated: '2026-09-08T09:18:12.460'
source: NVD
sourceUrl: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-52970'
references:
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/19f94b6fee75b3ef7fbc06f3745b9a771a8a19a4'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1dced0725e2fae3ac3416274db20a7ff5a46931d'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/26ab32ec73941871c97562ee1f39587950dc3b68'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2aef1b13d5c0285f340512c6c07eb858fd018fd8'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7b96242ceedfe249f158419f3254bcee04173ffe'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/84c422cea5a45fe56be839f25880f21fd33940cd'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/cdb9a25dd3416d427e8b2753210f8baf44207577'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ecca618e1e339494911090474ed87742c0f73976'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-019113.html'
    label: 0b142b55-0307-4c5a-b3c9-f314f3fb7c5e
tags:
  - nvd
  - cve.org
epss: 0.00166
epssPercentile: 0.05206
ingestedAt: '2026-07-11T13:13:25.085Z'
---

## Overview

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

netfilter: nft_ct: fix missing expect put in obj eval

nft_ct_expect_obj_eval() allocates an expectation and may call
nf_ct_expect_related(), but never drops its local reference.

Add nf_ct_expect_put(exp) before return to balance allocation.

## Affected

- `linux_kernel >= 5.3, < 5.10.258`
- `linux_kernel >= 5.11, < 5.15.209`
- `linux_kernel >= 5.16, < 6.1.175`
- `linux_kernel >= 6.2, < 6.6.141`
- `linux_kernel >= 6.7, < 6.12.91`
- `linux_kernel >= 6.13, < 6.18.33`
- `linux_kernel >= 6.19, < 7.0.10`
- `linux_kernel = 7.1`

## Remediation

Upgrade past the affected range:

- `linux_kernel 7.0.10`