Skip to main content

Linux Kernel CVE-2026-64077

| EUVDEUVD-2026-45650 HIGH
Race Condition (CWE-362)
2026-07-19 Linux GHSA-2pwc-rv94-9pp5
7.8
CVSS 3.1 · Vendor: Linux
View

Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Access
    Gain local access with CAP_NET_ADMIN
  2. Delivery
    Concurrently register and remove ebtables tables
  3. Exploit
    Win race exposing partial ebt_table struct
  4. Execution
    Read or corrupt kernel memory
  5. Impact
    Escalate privileges or leak kernel data

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A06:2025 - Insecure Design
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Concurrency control, locking
MITRE ATT&CK

1 technique across 1 tactic: Privilege Escalation

The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up.

Exploitation Conditions

Exploitation requires local code execution on the target and the ability to manipulate ebtables tables, which in practice means holding CAP_NET_ADMIN - either as root/network admin on the host or within a user+network namespace where the capability is delegated (a common container scenario). The attacker must trigger concurrent ebtables table registration and removal to hit the race window where table->ops is not yet assigned; this is a timing-dependent condition, so success is probabilistic rather than guaranteed. Limiting factors: no remote vector (AV:L), no unauthenticated path (PR:L implies some privilege/capability, per the CVSS vector), the ebtables/bridge-netfilter code path must be reachable (module loaded / bridge filtering in use), and only kernels between roughly 5.15 and the fixed 6.18.34/7.0.11/7.1 builds are affected.

Impact

The CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H = 7.8 High) indicates a local, low-privilege attacker can achieve high confidentiality, integrity and availability impact. However, several signals temper real-world urgency: EPSS is only 0.17% (6th percentile), the bug is NOT in CISA KEV, and no POC is referenced - so there is no evidence of active or imminent exploitation. There is also a mild internal tension worth verifying: the feed rates AC:L, but the patch describes a removal-time race that in practice usually requires winning a timing window (arguably AC:H), and it tags the issue 'Information Disclosure' while the CVSS claims full I:H/A:H - real impact may be narrower than the score suggests. Manipulating ebtables generally requires CAP_NET_ADMIN, which aligns with PR:L (not PR:N). Net assessment: a legitimate defense-in-depth kernel fix to patch on normal cycles, but not an emergency; the high CVSS reflects worst-case memory-corruption potential, not demonstrated widespread exploitability.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

A local user (or a process inside a container granted CAP_NET_ADMIN in its network namespace) rapidly registers and tears down ebtables tables while concurrently accessing them, racing to observe an ebt_table struct before its ops pointer is set. Hitting that window lets the attacker read uninitialized kernel memory or dereference a partial structure, potentially escalating to code execution or leaking sensitive kernel data. No public POC is currently referenced, and success depends on winning a narrow timing race.

This Week Schedule remediation this week. Why: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9).
Patch available 0.2% exploitation probability (EPSS)

Get an e-mail when this CVE is exploited, patched or re-scored. Free account.

Alert me

AnalysisAIv1 – Jul 20, 2026

Local privilege escalation and memory disclosure in the Linux kernel's netfilter ebtables subsystem stems from a table-removal race that could expose a partially-initialized ebt_table structure before its ops pointer is assigned. On affected kernels (5.15 through the fixes in 6.18.34, 7.0.11 and 7.1), a local user with network-administration capability manipulating ebtables can trigger the window between allocation and full initialization, corrupting or reading kernel memory. No public exploit identified at time of analysis, and EPSS is low (0.17%, 6th percentile), consistent with a race-condition bug requiring local access rather than mass exploitation.

RemediationAI

Apply the vendor-released patch by upgrading to a fixed kernel: 6.18.34, 7.0.11, or 7.1, or the corresponding backported package from your distribution's security channel, which contain the two-stage ebtables removal fix (commits 739d5dac7b2da44a756aa4d758ee3f1ccf5a27f1, b7f0544d86d439cb946515d2ef6a0a75e8626710, ef395579a7631a06d61969fc712eb80402231b89 at git.kernel.org/stable). Where immediate patching is not possible, reduce exposure by restricting CAP_NET_ADMIN and unprivileged user-namespace creation (e.g. set kernel.unprivileged_userns_clone=0 or the equivalent sysctl/AppArmor control), since that is the capability needed to manipulate ebtables; the trade-off is that containers or tooling relying on unprivileged network-namespace configuration may break. If ebtables/bridge filtering is not used, blacklisting the ebtables and bridge netfilter modules removes the attack surface entirely, at the cost of losing layer-2 firewalling functionality. These are compensating controls only - schedule the kernel update as the durable fix.

Affected VersionsENISA

Linux patch: 7.1
Linux 87663c39f898b18905499126548da61450628682 <739d5dac7b2da44a756aa4d758ee3f1ccf5a27f1
Linux 87663c39f898b18905499126548da61450628682 <b7f0544d86d439cb946515d2ef6a0a75e8626710
Linux patch: 6.18.34
Linux patch: 0
Linux patch: 7.0.11
Linux 87663c39f898b18905499126548da61450628682 <ef395579a7631a06d61969fc712eb80402231b89
Linux 5.15

Affected Packages

euvd linux no fix

Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)

Affects your stack

Affects 1 package in euvd

Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

ebtables is the Ethernet-bridge firewalling framework in the Linux kernel's netfilter stack, the layer-2 analogue of iptables/x_tables. The fix moves ebtables table removal to the same two-stage scheme already applied to x_tables and, critically, assigns table->ops while still holding the ebtables mutex so a partially-filled ebt_table struct is never exposed to concurrent readers. The developers note the x_tables helpers cannot be reused because ebt_table's struct layout is incompatible, so the pattern had to be re-implemented for ebtables. The root cause is a concurrency defect (race condition, CWE-362, leading to potential use-after-free/uninitialized-pointer use, CWE-416/CWE-457) around table registration/teardown; CWE is listed as N/A in the source feed, so this classification is inferred from the patch text rather than assigned by NVD.

Know when the next one hits your stack

  • Watch products and get an email when something new is published
  • Check this CVE against your own stack and servers
  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

No credit card · 7-day full trial

Severity by source

Vendor (Linux) PRIMARY 7.8 HIGH
AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
vuln.today AI 7.0 HIGH

Local-only race in ebtables removal requires winning a timing window (AC:H) and CAP_NET_ADMIN capability (PR:L); successful memory corruption can yield high C/I/A.

3.1 AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.0 AV:L/AC:H/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
SUSE HIGH
Red Hat 5.5 MEDIUM

Primary rating from Vendor (Linux).

CVSS VectorVendor: Linux

Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

Lifecycle Timeline

4
CVSS changed
Jul 20, 2026 - 15:22 NVD
7.8 (HIGH)
Patch available
Jul 19, 2026 - 17:03 EUVD
CVE Published
Jul 19, 2026 - 15:39 cve.org
UNKNOWN (no severity yet)
CVE Published
Jul 19, 2026 - 15:39 cve.org
HIGH 7.8

DescriptionCVE.org

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

netfilter: ebtables: move to two-stage removal scheme

Like previous patches for x_tables, follow same pattern in ebtables. We can't reuse xt helpers: ebt_table struct layout is incompatible.

table->ops assignment is now done while still holding the ebt mutex to make sure we never expose partially-filled table struct.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

A high-severity privilege escalation vulnerability in Linux kernel netfilter ebtables (CVE-2026-64077) affects kernel versions 5.15 through 6.18.33, 7.0.0-7.0.10, and early 7.1.x releases, enabling local users with network-administration capability to escalate privileges or disclose kernel memory. While requiring local access limits the vulnerability's immediate attack surface, successful exploitation could compromise system integrity and enable lateral movement within affected infrastructure. Organizations running vulnerable Linux kernels should prioritize patching to eliminate this vector and reduce insider-threat risk.

Business Impact: Medium
Compensating Controls

Apply vendor patch.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.2%
Top 94% exploitable
Prevalence
Ubiquitous
Linux kernel with netfilter runs across most server, cloud, and container deployments
Data Quality
6 sources
Confidence: High

How this decision was reached

The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.

SignalValue
Severity HIGH
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.2%
Patch available Yes
Active threat No
Deciding rule
HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9)
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision· derived
Defer
Exploitation· derived
None
System Exposure· derived
Small
Automatable· derived
No
Human Impact
Medium

Priority Score

39
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +39
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Information disclosure occurs when an application unintentionally exposes sensitive data that aids attackers in reconnaissance or directly compromises security.

Race conditions occur when multiple concurrent requests exploit the brief time gap between checking a condition and acting upon it (TOCTOU - Time of Check, Time of Use).

Vendor StatusVendor

SUSE

Severity: Important
Product Status
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 15 SP7 Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 15 SP7 Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Availability Extension 15 SP7 Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Availability Extension 15 SP7 Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Availability Extension 16.0 Affected

This site uses cookies essential for authentication and security. No tracking or analytics cookies are used. Privacy Policy