CVE-2026-46099 (CVSS 8.1)

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: ipv6: fix NOREF dst use in seg6 and rpl lwtunnels seg6_input_core() and rpl_input() call ip6_route_input() which sets a NOREF dst on the skb, then pass it to dst_cache_set_ip6() invoking dst_hold() unconditionally. On PREEMPT_RT, ksoftirqd is preemptible and a higher-priority task can release the underlying pcpu_rt between the lookup and the caching through a concurrent FIB lookup on a shared nexthop. Simplified race sequence: ksoftirqd/X higher-prio task (same CPU X) ----------- -------------------------------- seg6_input_core(,skb)/rpl_input(skb) dst_cache_get() -> miss ip6_route_input(skb) -> ip6_pol_route(,skb,flags) [RT6_LOOKUP_F_DST_NOREF in flags] -> FIB lookup resolves fib6_nh [nhid=N route] -> rt6_make_pcpu_route() [creates pcpu_rt, refcount=1] pcpu_rt->sernum = fib6_sernum [fib6_sernum=W] -> cmpxchg(fib6_nh.rt6i_pcpu, NULL, pcpu_rt) [slot was empty, store succeeds] -> skb_dst_set_noref(skb, dst) [dst is pcpu_rt, refcount still 1] rt_genid_bump_ipv6() -> bumps fib6_sernum [fib6_sernum from W to Z] ip6_route_output() -> ip6_pol_route() -> FIB lookup resolves fib6_nh [nhid=N] -> rt6_get_pcpu_route() pcpu_rt->sernum != fib6_sernum [W <> Z, stale] -> prev = xchg(rt6i_pcpu, NULL) -> dst_release(prev) [prev is pcpu_rt, refcount 1->0, dead] dst = skb_dst(skb) [dst is the dead pcpu_rt] dst_cache_set_ip6(dst) -> dst_hold() on dead dst -> WARN / use-after-free For the race to occur, ksoftirqd must be preemptible (PREEMPT_RT without PREEMPT_RT_NEEDS_BH_LOCK) and a concurrent task must be able to release the pcpu_rt. Shared nexthop objects provide such a path, as two routes pointing to the same nhid share the same fib6_nh and its rt6i_pcpu entry. Fix seg6_input_core() and rpl_input() by calling skb_dst_force() after ip6_route_input() to force the NOREF dst into a refcounted one before caching. The output path is not affected as ip6_route_output() already returns a refcounted dst.

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CVSS v3.1 Score

8.1

HIGH

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

EPSS — Exploit Prediction

0.0045

Probability of exploitation

0.36%

Percentile rank

EPSS estimates the probability that this vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. A higher score means more likely to be exploited.

References

Other References

https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/51fef5a7c4d160839199e941929456ba21ddf73c https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/52f9db67f8f35f436366cf4980b4f0a2583d0ef0 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6bd17925bd6866027a6555db17905b9fc073d38d https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9dd5481f960e337b81d7dfe429529495c1c481c0 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b258b849a580285a1692e782ebc902b44c884a71 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b778b6d095421619c331fd2d7751143cd5387103 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f9c52a6ba9780bd27e0bf4c044fd91c13c778b6e

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-46099? +

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: ipv6: fix NOREF dst use in seg6 and rpl lwtunnels seg6_input_core() and rpl_input() call ip6_route_input() which sets a NOREF dst on the skb, then pass it to dst_cache_set_ip6() invoking dst_hold() unconditionally. On PREEMPT_RT, ksoftirqd is preemptible and a higher-priority task can release the underlying pcpu_rt between the lookup and the caching through a concurrent FIB lookup on a shared nexthop. Simplified race sequence: ksoftirqd/X higher-prio task (same CPU X) ----------- -------------------------------- seg6_input_core(,skb)/rpl_input(skb) dst_cache_get() -> miss ip6_route_input(skb) -> ip6_pol_route(,skb,flags) [RT6_LOOKUP_F_DST_NOREF in flags] -> FIB lookup resolves fib6_nh [nhid=N route] -> rt6_make_pcpu_route() [creates pcpu_rt, refcount=1] pcpu_rt->sernum = fib6_sernum [fib6_sernum=W] -> cmpxchg(fib6_nh.rt6i_pcpu, NULL, pcpu_rt) [slot was empty, store succeeds] -> skb_dst_set_noref(skb, dst) [dst is pcpu_rt, refcount still 1] rt_genid_bump_ipv6() -> bumps fib6_sernum [fib6_sernum from W to Z] ip6_route_output() -> ip6_pol_route() -> FIB lookup resolves fib6_nh [nhid=N] -> rt6_get_pcpu_route() pcpu_rt->sernum != fib6_sernum [W <> Z, stale] -> prev = xchg(rt6i_pcpu, NULL) -> dst_release(prev) [prev is pcpu_rt, refcount 1->0, dead] dst = skb_dst(skb) [dst is the dead pcpu_rt] dst_cache_set_ip6(dst) -> dst_hold() on dead dst -> WARN / use-after-free For the race to occur, ksoftirqd must be preemptible (PREEMPT_RT without PREEMPT_RT_NEEDS_BH_LOCK) and a concurrent task must be able to release the pcpu_rt. Shared nexthop objects provide such a path, as two routes pointing to the same nhid share the same fib6_nh and its rt6i_pcpu entry. Fix seg6_input_core() and rpl_input() by calling skb_dst_force() after ip6_route_input() to force the NOREF dst into a refcounted one before caching. The output path is not affected as ip6_route_output() already returns a refcounted dst. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.1 (HIGH).

How severe is CVE-2026-46099? +

CVE-2026-46099 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 8.1 out of 10, rated HIGH. This is a high-severity vulnerability that should be prioritized for patching. The EPSS score is 0.0045, placing it in the 0th percentile for exploitation probability.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2026-46099? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

CVE-2026-46099