Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2026-72493

critical Nessus Plugin ID 335575

Synopsis

The Linux/Unix host has one or more packages installed with a vulnerability that the vendor indicates will not be patched.

Description

The Linux/Unix host has one or more packages installed that are impacted by a vulnerability without a vendor supplied patch available.

- net: serialize netif_running() check in enqueue_to_backlog() Syzbot reported a KASAN slab-use-after-free in fib_rules_lookup(). The root cause is a race condition where packets can escape the backlog flushing during device unregistration (e.g., during netns exit). Commit e9e4dd3267d0 (net: do not process device backlog during unregistration) introduced a lockless netif_running() check in enqueue_to_backlog() to prevent queuing packets to an unregistering device. However, this creates a TOCTOU race window. A lockless transmitter (like veth_xmit) can pass the check before dev_close() clears IFF_UP. If the transmitter is then delayed, flush_all_backlogs() can run and finish before the transmitter grabs the backlog lock and queues the packet. The packet then escapes the flush and triggers UAF later when processed. Fix this by moving the netif_running() check inside the backlog lock. This serializes the check with the flush work (which also grabs the lock). We then either queue the packet before the flush runs (so it gets flushed), or check netif_running() after the flush/close completes (so it gets dropped). (CVE-2026-72493)

Note that Nessus relies on the presence of the package as reported by the vendor.

Solution

There is no known solution at this time.

See Also

https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2026-72493

Plugin Details

Severity: Critical

ID: 335575

File Name: unpatched_CVE_2026_72493.nasl

Version: 1.1

Type: Local

Agent: unix

Family: Misc.

Published: 8/15/2026

Updated: 8/15/2026

Supported Sensors: Frictionless Assessment Agent, Nessus Agent, Agentless Assessment, Tenable Cloud Security, Tenable Self-Hosted Container Security, Nessus

Risk Information

VPR

Risk Factor: Low

Score: 3

Percentile: 23.67

CVSS v2

Risk Factor: High

Base Score: 7.5

Temporal Score: 6.4

Vector: CVSS2#AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P

CVSS Score Source: CVE-2026-72493

CVSS v3

Risk Factor: Critical

Base Score: 9.8

Temporal Score: 9

Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Temporal Vector: CVSS:3.0/E:U/RL:U/RC:C

Vulnerability Information

CPE: cpe:/o:debian:debian_linux:11.0, cpe:/o:debian:debian_linux:12.0, cpe:/o:debian:debian_linux:13.0, p-cpe:/a:debian:debian_linux:linux

Required KB Items: Host/local_checks_enabled, Host/cpu, global_settings/vendor_unpatched, Host/OS/identifier

Exploit Ease: No known exploits are available

Vulnerability Publication Date: 8/15/2026

Reference Information

CVE: CVE-2026-72493