CVE-2026-90237

A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's netfilter connection tracking (nf_ct) component. This vulnerability arises from the incorrect handling of connection tracking expectations, where early insertion of expectations into the list can lead to stale entries. These stale entries point to incorrect memory locations due to reallocation of connection tracking extensions. This can lead to system instability, potentially causing a kernel crash or disrupting network connection tracking.

This vulnerability is rated as having a Moderate impact because successful exploitation requires local administrative privileges, such as CAP_NET_ADMIN, to configure custom nftables connection tracking expectations. In typical Red Hat Enterprise Linux environments, unprivileged users cannot define netfilter rules or register custom expectation policies. Consequently, exposure is confined to authenticated users with specific networking capabilities attempting to trigger a kernel crash or escalate privileges locally.

The CVSS score(s) listed for this vulnerability do not reflect the associated product's status, and are included for informational purposes to better understand the severity of this vulnerability.