high CVSS 8.8 Actively exploited EPSS 0.83%

CVE-2026-53266·Kernel vulnerability

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netfilter: bridge: make ebt_snat ARP rewrite writable The ebtables SNAT target keeps the Ethernet source address rewrite behind skb_ensure_writable(skb, 0). This is intentional: at the bridge ebtables hooks the Ethernet header is addressed through skb_mac_header()/eth_hdr(), while skb->data points at the Ethernet payload. Asking skb_ensure_writable() for ETH_HLEN bytes would check the payload, not the Ethernet header, and would reintroduce the small packet regression fixed by commit 63137bc5882a. However, the optional ARP sender hardware address rewrite is different. It writes through skb_store_bits() at an offset relative to skb->data: skb_store_bits(skb, sizeof(struct arphdr), info->mac, ETH_ALEN) skb_header_pointer() only safely reads the ARP header; it does not make the later sender hardware address range writable. If that range is still held in a nonlinear skb fragment backed by a splice-imported file page, skb_store_bits() maps the frag page and copies the new MAC address directly into it. Ensure the ARP SHA range is writable before reading the ARP header and before calling skb_store_bits().

Severity
high
Software
Kernel
Fixed in
7.0.13
Published

How likely is exploitation

FIRST's Exploit Prediction Scoring System puts the probability of this CVE being exploited in the next 30 days at 0.83% — higher than 56% of all published CVEs. EPSS is an independent forecast of exploitation, not a severity rating: it says nothing about how much damage a successful attack does, which is what a CVSS score measures.

Read the two together. CVE-2026-53266 scores 8.8 on CVSS, so a successful attack would be serious — but at 0.83%, almost nobody is currently attempting it. That is a different situation from a flaw under mass exploitation, and it is usually the difference between patching on your next maintenance window and patching tonight.

Affected versions

From: 6.19

Until: 7.0.13

Fixed in: 7.0.13

How to fix this CVE

Update your Linux kernel to version 7.0.13 or later to patch a critical memory safety issue in the netfilter bridge SNAT target's ARP rewrite functionality. This vulnerability allows local attackers with limited privileges to corrupt kernel memory through improper handling of non-linear socket buffers. Apply the kernel update immediately, especially if your system handles bridged network traffic or runs container workloads.

sudo dnf update kernel kernel-devel

Defensia detects this vulnerability

How to check if you are affected

  1. Check kernel version: uname -r — vulnerable versions are 6.19 through 7.0.12
  2. Verify netfilter bridge SNAT is loaded: lsmod | grep ebtable_nat — if present, the vulnerable code path may be active
  3. Review network interface configuration: ip link show — check for bridge interfaces that could trigger the vulnerability
  4. Confirm patch application: cat /proc/version — should show kernel version 7.0.13 or later after update; verify with uname -r after reboot

FAQ

What is CVE-2026-53266?

This is a kernel memory safety vulnerability in the netfilter bridge SNAT (Source NAT) target that fails to properly validate writable buffer ranges when rewriting ARP sender hardware addresses. A local attacker with limited privileges can write to kernel memory through splice-imported file pages, potentially achieving privilege escalation or system compromise.

Is CVE-2026-53266 being actively exploited?

Yes — CVE-2026-53266 is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, indicating active real-world exploitation. No public exploit code is currently available, but attackers are actively leveraging this vulnerability in the wild.

What versions of Kernel are affected by CVE-2026-53266?

Linux kernel versions 6.19 through 7.0.12 are vulnerable. The fix was released in kernel version 7.0.13 and backported to stable branches.

How do I check if my server is vulnerable to CVE-2026-53266?

Run `uname -r` to check your kernel version — if it shows 6.19 or any version between 6.20 and 7.0.12, your system is vulnerable. Additionally, check if bridge interfaces are configured with `ip link show | grep bridge`.

Does Defensia detect CVE-2026-53266?

Yes — Defensia's CVE advisory scanner compares installed kernel package versions against the NVD database. If Linux kernel is installed on a monitored server, CVE-2026-53266 will appear in your dashboard with remediation steps and severity indicators.

Related Kernel CVEs

CVE-2026-63795CVSS 10In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: 9p: avoid putting oldfid in p9_client_walk() error path When p9_client_walk() is called with clone set to false, fid aliases oldfid. If the walk subsequently fails after the request has been sent, the error path jumps to clunk_fid, which currently calls p9_fid_put(fid) unconditionally. This drops a reference to oldfid even though ownership of oldfid remains with the caller. If this is the last reference, oldfid can be clunked and destroyed while the caller still expects it to be valid. A later use or put of oldfid can then trigger a use-after-free or refcount underflow. Fix this by only putting fid in the clunk_fid error path when it does not alias oldfid, matching the existing guard in the error path below. This can be triggered when a multi-component walk is split into multiple p9_client_walk() calls and a later non-cloning walk fails. A reproducer and refcount warning logs are available on request.
CVE-2026-46325CVSS 9.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: RDMA/rxe: Fix iova-to-va conversion for MR page sizes != PAGE_SIZE The current implementation incorrectly handles memory regions (MRs) with page sizes different from the system PAGE_SIZE. The core issue is that rxe_set_page() is called with mr->page_size step increments, but the page_list stores individual struct page pointers, each representing PAGE_SIZE of memory. ib_sg_to_page() has ensured that when i>=1 either a) SG[i-1].dma_end and SG[i].dma_addr are contiguous or b) SG[i-1].dma_end and SG[i].dma_addr are mr->page_size aligned. This leads to incorrect iova-to-va conversion in scenarios: 1) page_size < PAGE_SIZE (e.g., MR: 4K, system: 64K): ibmr->iova = 0x181800 sg[0]: dma_addr=0x181800, len=0x800 sg[1]: dma_addr=0x173000, len=0x1000 Access iova = 0x181800 + 0x810 = 0x182010 Expected VA: 0x173010 (second SG, offset 0x10) Before fix: - index = (0x182010 >> 12) - (0x181800 >> 12) = 1 - page_offset = 0x182010 & 0xFFF = 0x10 - xarray[1] stores system page base 0x170000 - Resulting VA: 0x170000 + 0x10 = 0x170010 (wrong) 2) page_size > PAGE_SIZE (e.g., MR: 64K, system: 4K): ibmr->iova = 0x18f800 sg[0]: dma_addr=0x18f800, len=0x800 sg[1]: dma_addr=0x170000, len=0x1000 Access iova = 0x18f800 + 0x810 = 0x190010 Expected VA: 0x170010 (second SG, offset 0x10) Before fix: - index = (0x190010 >> 16) - (0x18f800 >> 16) = 1 - page_offset = 0x190010 & 0xFFFF = 0x10 - xarray[1] stores system page for dma_addr 0x170000 - Resulting VA: system page of 0x170000 + 0x10 = 0x170010 (wrong) Yi Zhang reported a kernel panic[1] years ago related to this defect. Solution: 1. Replace xarray with pre-allocated rxe_mr_page array for sequential indexing (all MR page indices are contiguous) 2. Each rxe_mr_page stores both struct page* and offset within the system page 3. Handle MR page_size != PAGE_SIZE relationships: - page_size > PAGE_SIZE: Split MR pages into multiple system pages - page_size <= PAGE_SIZE: Store offset within system page 4. Add boundary checks and compatibility validation This ensures correct iova-to-va conversion regardless of MR page size and system PAGE_SIZE relationship, while improving performance through array-based sequential access. Tests on 4K and 64K PAGE_SIZE hosts: - rdma-core/pytests $ ./build/bin/run_tests.py --dev eth0_rxe - blktest: $ TIMEOUT=30 QUICK_RUN=1 USE_RXE=1 NVMET_TRTYPES=rdma ./check nvme srp rnbd [1] https://lore.kernel.org/all/CAHj4cs9XRqE25jyVw9rj9YugffLn5+f=1znaBEnu1usLOciD+g@mail.gmail.com/T/
CVE-2026-52914CVSS 9.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: batman-adv: fix fragment reassembly length accounting batman-adv keeps a running payload length for queued fragments and uses it to validate a fragment chain before reassembly. That accounting currently allows the accumulated fragment length to be truncated during updates. As a result, malformed fragment chains can bypass the intended validation and drive reassembly with inconsistent length state, leading to a local denial of service. Fix the accounting by storing the accumulated length in a length-typed field and rejecting update overflows before the existing validation logic runs. The fix was verified against the original reproducer and against valid fragment reassembly paths.
CVE-2026-53151CVSS 9.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: rxrpc: Fix the ACK parser to extract the SACK table for parsing Fix modification of the received skbuff in rxrpc_input_soft_acks() and a potential incorrect access of the buffer in a fragmented UDP packet (the packet would probably have to be deliberately pre-generated as fragmented) when AF_RXRPC tries to extract the contents of the SACK table by copying out the contents of the SACK table into a buffer before attempting to parse AF_RXRPC assumes that it can just call skb_condense() and then validly access the SACK table from skb->data and that it will be a flat buffer - but skb_condense() can silently fail to do anything under some circumstances. Note that whilst rxrpc_input_soft_acks() should be able to parse extended ACKs, the rest of AF_RXRPC doesn't currently support that. Further, there's then no need to call skb_condense() in rxrpc_input_ack(), so don't.
CVE-2026-63800CVSS 9.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: pNFS: Fix use-after-free in pnfs_update_layout() When hitting the NFS_LAYOUT_RETURN branch in pnfs_update_layout(), the code calls pnfs_prepare_to_retry_layoutget(lo). If it succeeds, pnfs_put_layout_hdr(lo) is called before trace_pnfs_update_layout(), which still references 'lo'. This results in a use-after-free when the tracepoint accesses lo's fields. Fix this by moving the tracepoint call before pnfs_put_layout_hdr(lo).

References

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