CVE-2026-68420 in Linux
Summary
by MITRE • 08/10/2026
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
xfrm: reject optional IPTFS templates in outbound policies
syzbot reported a stack-out-of-bounds read in xfrm_state_find() which flows from xfrm_tmpl_resolve_one().
Commit 3d776e31c841 ("xfrm: Reject optional tunnel/BEET mode templates in outbound policies") disallowed optional tunnel and BEET in outbound policies to prevent this. Later when IPTFS added, it was not covered by that fix and can still trigger the out-of-bounds read;
Extend the check to disallow optional IPTFS in outbound policies as well. IPTFS should be identical to tunnel mode. IN and FWD policies are not affected: xfrm_tmpl_resolve_one() is only reachable via the outbound path.
Reproducer, before:
ip link add dummy0 type dummy ip link set dummy0 up ip addr add 10.1.1.1/24 dev dummy0 ip xfrm policy add src 10.1.1.1/32 dst 10.1.1.2/32 dir out tmpl src fc00::dead:1 dst fc00::dead:2 proto esp reqid 1 mode iptfs level use tmpl src fc00::dead:1 dst fc00::dead:2 proto esp reqid 2 mode transport ping -W 1 -c 1 10.1.1.2 PING 10.1.1.2 (10.1.1.2) 56(84) bytes of data.
[ 64.168420] ==================================================================
[ 64.169977] BUG: KASAN: stack-out-of-bounds in __xfrm6_addr_hash+0x11e/0x170
[ 64.169977] Read of size 4 at addr ffff88800e1ffd20 by task ping/2844
[ 64.169977] CPU: 2 UID: 0 PID: 2844 Comm: ping Not tainted 7.1.0-rc7-00180-geb23b588430a #98 PREEMPT(full)
[ 64.169977] Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS 1.16.3-debian-1.16.3-2 04/01/2014
[ 64.169977] Call Trace:
[ 64.169977] <TASK>
[ 64.169977] dump_stack_lvl+0x47/0x70
[ 64.169977] ? __xfrm6_addr_hash+0x11e/0x170
[ 64.169977] print_report+0x152/0x4b0
[ 64.169977] ? ksys_mmap_pgoff+0x6d/0xa0
[ 64.169977] ? entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x76/0x7e
[ 64.169977] ? rcu_read_unlock_sched+0xa/0x20
[ 64.169977] ? __virt_addr_valid+0x21b/0x230
[ 64.169977] ? __xfrm6_addr_hash+0x11e/0x170
[ 64.169977] kasan_report+0xa8/0xd0
[ 64.169977] ? __xfrm6_addr_hash+0x11e/0x170
[ 64.169977] __xfrm6_addr_hash+0x11e/0x170
[ 64.169977] __xfrm_dst_hash+0x24/0xc0
[ 64.169977] xfrm_state_find+0xa2d/0x2f90
[ 64.169977] ? __pfx_xfrm_state_find+0x10/0x10
[ 64.169977] ? __pfx_ftrace_graph_ret_addr+0x10/0x10
[ 64.169977] ? __pfx_ftrace_graph_ret_addr+0x10/0x10
[ 64.169977] xfrm_tmpl_resolve_one+0x210/0x570
[ 64.169977] ? __pfx_xfrm_tmpl_resolve_one+0x10/0x10
[ 64.169977] ? __pfx_stack_trace_consume_entry+0x10/0x10
[ 64.169977] ? kernel_text_address+0x5b/0x80
[ 64.169977] ? __kernel_text_address+0xe/0x30
[ 64.169977] ? unwind_get_return_address+0x5e/0x90
[ 64.169977] ? arch_stack_walk+0x8c/0xe0
[ 64.169977] xfrm_tmpl_resolve+0x130/0x200
[ 64.169977] ? __pfx_xfrm_tmpl_resolve+0x10/0x10
[ 64.169977] ? __pfx_xfrm_policy_inexact_lookup_rcu+0x10/0x10
[ 64.169977] ? __refcount_add_not_zero.constprop.0+0xb2/0x110
[ 64.169977] ? __pfx___refcount_add_not_zero.constprop.0+0x10/0x10
[ 64.169977] xfrm_resolve_and_create_bundle+0xd5/0x310
[ 64.169977] ? __pfx_xfrm_resolve_and_create_bundle+0x10/0x10
[ 64.169977] ? __pfx_xfrm_policy_lookup_bytype+0x10/0x10
[ 64.169977] ? __pfx_xfrm_policy_lookup_bytype+0x10/0x10
[ 64.169977] xfrm_lookup_with_ifid+0x3d8/0xb80
[ 64.169977] ? __pfx_xfrm_lookup_with_ifid+0x10/0x10
[ 64.169977] ? ip_route_output_key_hash+0xc6/0x110
[ 64.169977] ? kasan_save_track+0x10/0x30
[ 64.169977] xfrm_lookup_route+0x18/0xe0
[ 64.169977] ip4_datagram_release_cb+0x4c9/0x530
[ 64.169977] ? __pfx_ip4_datagram_release_cb+0x10/0x10
[ 64.169977] ? do_raw_spin_lock+0x71/0xc0
[ 64.169977] ? __pfx_do_raw_spin_lock+0x10/0x10
[ 64.169977] release_sock+0xb0/0x170
[ 64.169977] udp_connect+0x43/0x50
[ 64.169977] __sys_connect+0xa6/0x100
[ 64.169977] ? alloc_fd+0x2e9/0x300
[ 64.169977] ? __pfx___sys_connect+0x10/0x10
[ 64.169977] ? preempt_latency
---truncated---
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/10/2026
The vulnerability addressed in this kernel fix relates to a stack out-of-bounds read condition within the Linux IPsec framework, specifically in the xfrm subsystem responsible for managing security policies and state objects. This flaw occurs during the processing of outbound IPsec policies when optional tunnel mode templates are used, leading to memory corruption that can potentially be exploited by malicious actors. The issue was initially identified through syzbot, an automated fuzzer, which revealed a critical stack-out-of-bounds read in the xfrm_state_find() function, tracing back to xfrm_tmpl_resolve_one(). This vulnerability falls under CWE-129, representing an out-of-bounds read that can lead to information disclosure or arbitrary code execution.
The root cause stems from the implementation of IPsec Tunnel Forwarding Security (IPTFS) mode, which was introduced after the initial fix for tunnel and BEET modes in outbound policies. While commit 3d776e31c841 correctly prevented optional tunnel and BEET mode templates from being used in outbound policies, it failed to extend this protection to IPTFS mode. This oversight allowed attackers to construct malicious IPsec policies that would trigger the out-of-bounds read when the kernel attempted to resolve these templates during packet processing. The affected code path is exclusively reachable through the outbound policy resolution mechanism, making IN and FWD policies immune to this specific vulnerability according to the patch's design.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple memory corruption, as it represents a potential vector for privilege escalation or system compromise within kernel space operations. When the kernel processes outbound packets that match maliciously constructed IPsec policies, it follows a call trace that ultimately leads through xfrm_tmpl_resolve_one() and into xfrm_state_find(), where the stack-out-of-bounds read occurs at __xfrm6_addr_hash(). This type of vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which involves exploiting legitimate credentials or system capabilities to gain elevated privileges. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates entirely within kernel memory space, making detection and mitigation more challenging than user-space exploits. The fix implemented by extending the existing protection to include IPTFS mode ensures that all tunnel-like modes are consistently restricted in outbound policy contexts, preventing any similar future regressions.
Mitigation of this vulnerability requires applying the kernel patch that extends the existing restriction on optional tunnel modes to also cover IPTFS mode. This patch modifies the xfrm subsystem's validation logic to reject all optional tunnel-mode templates in outbound policies, ensuring consistency across all tunnel-like IPsec modes. System administrators should prioritize applying this update to all affected kernels, particularly those running IPsec services or systems handling sensitive network traffic. The fix does not impact legitimate use cases since IN and FWD policies remain unaffected, while the restriction only applies to outbound policy resolution paths where such vulnerabilities could be exploited. This solution aligns with security best practices for kernel hardening and follows established patterns from both CWE categorization and ATT&CK framework guidance for protecting against memory corruption vulnerabilities in system-level components.