CVE intelligence and bounded remediation

CVE-2026-31680 — Linux Linux Kernel security vulnerability

High CVSS 7.8

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: ipv6: flowlabel: defer exclusive option free until RCU teardown `ip6fl_seq_show()` walks the global flowlabel hash under the seq-file RCU read-side lock and prints `fl->opt->opt_nflen` when an option block is present. Exclusive flowlabels currently free `fl->opt` as soon as `fl->users` drops to zero in `fl_release()`. However, the surrounding `struct ip6_flowlabel` remains visible in the global hash table until later garbage collection removes it and `fl_free_rcu()` finally tears it down. A concurrent `/proc/net/ip6_flowlabel` reader can therefore race that early `kfree()` and dereference freed option state, triggering a crash in `ip6fl_seq_show()`. Fix this by keeping `fl->opt` alive until `fl_free_rcu()`. That matches the lifetime already required for the enclosing flowlabel while readers can still reach it under RCU.

Severity
High
CVSS
7.8 (3.1)
Published
2026-04-25
CISA KEV
Not currently listed
Ecosystem
linux/kernel

Affected products

  • linux / linux_kernel
  • linux / linux_kernel / 7.0

Showing 2 representative product identities from 13 source matches. Confirm exact affected versions with the linked vendor and NVD evidence.

Matched remediation archetype

General vulnerability remediation

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Check exposure

  • Confirm the affected component, deployment paths, reachable interfaces, and enabled features from inventories and configuration, without probing production destructively.
  • Compare the advisory's affected conditions with the repository lockfiles, build manifests, artifacts, and runtime inventory.
  • Identify data sensitivity, trust boundaries, and privilege level for every confirmed affected deployment.

Remediate safely

  • Apply a vendor-supported fix or remove the affected component or feature; record the selected change and its source in the repository.
  • Update direct and transitive dependency locks, generated artifacts, deployment manifests, and asset inventories together.
  • Add a regression test for the documented unsafe condition using inert inputs and preserve rollback instructions.

Authoritative sources

Complete CVE record and remediation plan

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