CVE-2026-72251
Linux kernel vulnerability
- Published15 Aug 2026
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netfilter: nf_nat_sip: reload possible stale data pointer quoting sashiko: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [..] noticed a potential memory bug and header corruption involving the SIP NAT helper. In net/netfilter/nf_nat_sip.c:nf_nat_sip(): if (skb_ensure_writable(skb, skb->len)) { nf_ct_helper_log(skb, ct, "cannot mangle packet"); return NF_DROP; } uh = (void *)skb->data + protoff; uh->dest = ct_sip_info->forced_dport; if (!nf_nat_mangle_udp_packet(skb, ct, ctinfo, protoff, 0, 0, NULL, 0)) { If a cloned or fragmented SKB is reallocated by skb_ensure_writable(), the old data buffer is freed. However, nf_nat_sip() fails to update *dptr to point to the new buffer. It also appears to use nf_nat_mangle_udp_packet() on what could be a TCP packet, which would overwrite the sequence number with a checksum update. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ nf_conntrack_sip linerizes skbs, hence no fragmented skb can be seen. But clones are possible, so rebuild dptr. Disable nf_nat_mangle_udp_packet() branch for TCP streams. It doesn't look like this can ever happen, else we should have received bug reports about this, so just check the conntrack is UDP and drop otherwise. The calling conntrack_sip set ->forced_dport for SIP_HDR_VIA_UDP messages, so I don't think this is ever expected to be true for a TCP stream.
CVSS 3.1 breakdown
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HRemediation
No fixed version is recorded in the NVD data. Check the vendor advisory for the latest guidance.
References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0e76e3e886cc9ee027337d5ad39cb96f57b7bdc7
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2bcf2c5052fb5e73e255140ab43f056aef409c27
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/57e4e29644ec054d7021d296407e7ddd844afea2
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/77e43bcb7ec177e293a5c3f1b91a2c5aebfb6c68
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/bded21a4bf9bf86a79148be735723a97ca9a7532
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/dc11f26685aa850f237226f0f463647aea58ab7c
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e38143c9b477f2968024c47c647dd4456a40aff1
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/eae9c6ccb5af69c713a65f8ae219f5c1aa32cd17
Frequently asked
Is CVE-2026-72251 being actively exploited?
CVE-2026-72251 is not in the CISA KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit probability is 0.71%.
How severe is CVE-2026-72251?
CVE-2026-72251 has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.8, rated critical. EPSS estimates a 0.71% probability of exploitation.
How do I fix CVE-2026-72251?
Apply the vendor's patch or advisory guidance, then verify no affected versions remain across your devices.
How Secuno handles this
Secuno correlates vulnerabilities like CVE-2026-72251 against the real software inventory on every managed device, every day. Rather than a static severity, each match is scored in context: exploit availability, EPSS, the asset's exposure, and business criticality decide where it lands in the queue. If an affected version is present anywhere across your portfolio, it surfaces automatically with a prioritised remediation path.
Data from the NVD, CISA KEV catalog and FIRST EPSS. CVSS 3.1 base score shown where available.