---
id: CVE-2026-53349
title: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  netfilter: nf_conntrack: destroy stale expectfn expectations on unregister

  NAT helpers such as nf_nat_h323 store a raw pointer to module text in
  exp->expectfn (e.g
summary: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  netfilter: nf_conntrack: destroy stale expectfn expectations on unregister

  NAT helpers such as nf_nat_h323 store a raw pointer to module text in
  exp->expectfn (e.g. ip…
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 >= 2.6.20, < 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: '2026-07-01'
updated: '2026-10-15'
sourceUpdated: '2026-10-15T02:20:09.423'
source: NVD
sourceUrl: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-53349'
references:
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/29d8cc44bbdf7b83a1929912214afe6643c1b4f1'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9d017671dcfcec23321fb7962dea624f9e71ddb1'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/bf8c0b5dd203be94c2ad50e264cec19267c6bd39'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c3009418f9fa1dcb3eb86f4d8c92583537b5faa3'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f92c90a2a3e6ff6f9f7fe88fde9004b4ca8f956d'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fbfde85308b99938a6092c48753214d190ece48d'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-784472.html'
    label: 0b142b55-0307-4c5a-b3c9-f314f3fb7c5e
tags:
  - nvd
  - cve.org
epss: 0.0012
epssPercentile: 0.01723
ingestedAt: '2026-10-15T03:30:12.913Z'
---

## Overview

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

netfilter: nf_conntrack: destroy stale expectfn expectations on unregister

NAT helpers such as nf_nat_h323 store a raw pointer to module text in
exp->expectfn (e.g. ip_nat_q931_expect). nf_ct_helper_expectfn_unregister()
only unlinks the callback descriptor and never walks the expectation table,
so an expectation pending at module removal survives with a dangling
exp->expectfn into freed module text.

When the expected connection arrives, init_conntrack() invokes
exp->expectfn(), now a stale pointer into the unloaded module. Reproduced
on a KASAN build by loading the H.323 helpers, creating a Q.931
expectation, unloading nf_nat_h323, then connecting to the expected port:

 Oops: int3: 0000 [#1] SMP KASAN NOPTI
 RIP: 0010:0xffffffffa06102d1
  init_conntrack.isra.0 (net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_core.c:1862)
  nf_conntrack_in (net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_core.c:2049)
  ipv4_conntrack_local (net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_proto.c:223)
  nf_hook_slow (net/netfilter/core.c:619)
  __ip_local_out (net/ipv4/ip_output.c:120)
  __tcp_transmit_skb (net/ipv4/tcp_output.c:1715)
  tcp_connect (net/ipv4/tcp_output.c:4374)
  tcp_v4_connect (net/ipv4/tcp_ipv4.c:345)
  __sys_connect (net/socket.c:2167)
 Modules linked in: nf_conntrack_h323 [last unloaded: nf_nat_h323]

Reaching the dangling state requires CAP_SYS_MODULE in the initial user
namespace to remove a NAT helper that still has live expectations, so this
is a robustness fix; leaving an expectation pointing at freed text is wrong
regardless.

Add nf_ct_helper_expectfn_destroy(), which walks the expectation table and
drops every expectation whose ->expectfn matches the descriptor being torn
down. Call it from each NAT helper's exit path after the existing RCU grace
period, so no expectation outlives the code it points at and no extra
synchronize_rcu() is introduced. With the fix, the same reproducer runs to
completion without the Oops.

## Affected

- `linux_kernel >= 2.6.20, < 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`