---
id: CVE-2026-53212
title: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  netfilter: nft_tunnel: fix use-after-free on object destroy

  nft_tunnel_obj_destroy() calls metadata_dst_free() which directly
  kfree()s the metadata_dst, ignoring the d…
summary: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  netfilter: nft_tunnel: fix use-after-free on object destroy

  nft_tunnel_obj_destroy() calls metadata_dst_free() which directly
  kfree()s the metadata_dst, ignoring the d…
severity: high
cvss: 7.8
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'
cwe:
  - CWE-416
vendor: linux
product: linux_kernel
affected:
  - 'linux_kernel >= 4.19, < 5.10.259'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 5.11, < 5.15.210'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 5.16, < 6.1.176'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 6.2, < 6.6.143'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 6.7, < 6.12.94'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 6.13, < 6.18.36'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 6.19, < 7.0.13'
  - linux_kernel = 7.1
patched:
  - linux_kernel 7.0.13
published: '2026-06-25'
updated: '2026-07-02'
source: NVD
sourceUrl: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-53212'
references:
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/349df61526d2e39decc685d246202e3e284cfe05'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/55b79b1ae42372012413ce0413181d26679b17ef'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5e9ee18b27fde88cb6148202b33916c66693fe82'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8767fe4079affa74314d7eb3220e700150289842'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/941d7394efda5e054e2d6f3e0dd0f6a9ba19aaa3'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c32b26aaa2f9216520a38b3f4bfeec846eb3eb8a'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f9a0e4b61054cde89a2a77845293c726cc07cc43'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fda6573a46ad24f35348e024905ee5bdf729797e'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
tags:
  - nvd
epss: 0.00205
epssPercentile: 0.09349
ingestedAt: '2026-07-03T13:02:28.039Z'
---

## Overview

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

netfilter: nft_tunnel: fix use-after-free on object destroy

nft_tunnel_obj_destroy() calls metadata_dst_free() which directly
kfree()s the metadata_dst, ignoring the dst_entry refcount. Packets
that took a reference via dst_hold() in nft_tunnel_obj_eval() and
are still queued (e.g. in a netem qdisc) are left with a dangling
pointer. When these packets are eventually dequeued, dst_release()
operates on freed memory.

Replace metadata_dst_free() with dst_release() so the metadata_dst
is freed only after all references are dropped. The dst subsystem
already handles metadata_dst cleanup in dst_destroy() when
DST_METADATA is set.

## Affected

- `linux_kernel >= 4.19, < 5.10.259`
- `linux_kernel >= 5.11, < 5.15.210`
- `linux_kernel >= 5.16, < 6.1.176`
- `linux_kernel >= 6.2, < 6.6.143`
- `linux_kernel >= 6.7, < 6.12.94`
- `linux_kernel >= 6.13, < 6.18.36`
- `linux_kernel >= 6.19, < 7.0.13`
- `linux_kernel = 7.1`

## Remediation

Upgrade past the affected range:

- `linux_kernel 7.0.13`