Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
A Linux kernel networking flaw can fail to release routing memory when nftables flow offload uses the direct-transmit path. Repeated exposure could consume memory and reduce system availability. The supplied CVSS score is 7.5, driven by potential denial of service rather than data theft or modification.
Executive priority
Schedule urgent remediation for exposed, high-throughput routers, gateways, and security appliances using nftables flow offload. Prioritize systems where memory exhaustion would interrupt critical connectivity. Current evidence supports availability risk, but not emergency incident response based on active exploitation.
Technical view
The nft_flow_offload direct-transmit path retains a destination-routing object even though dev_queue_xmit() does not consume it. Kernel kmemleak output confirms an unreferenced allocation originating through nft_flow_route during packet forwarding. The cited Linux stable commits correct the missing release.
Likely exposure
The bundle identifies Linux kernel versions 6.5, 6.6.19, 6.7.7, and 6.8 as affected; its separate “0” entry is ambiguous. Practical exposure depends on nftables flow offload and the direct-transmit forwarding path being used. Network appliances, gateways, or hosts using that configuration merit priority review.
Exploitation context
The supplied CVSS vector rates the issue network-accessible, low-complexity, unauthenticated, and availability-impacting. However, the bundle provides no public exploit, demonstrated denial of service, or confirmed active exploitation; it explicitly reports KEV as false. Exact triggering and resource-exhaustion conditions are not established here.
Researcher notes
Evidence establishes an unreleased destination-routing allocation in the softirq forwarding path, detected by kmemleak. The bundle supplies no CWE, exploit demonstration, affected configuration matrix, or quantitative exhaustion threshold. Distribution backports may make version-only checks unreliable, so validate packages against vendor guidance and cited commits.
Mitigation direction
- Upgrade through the Linux distribution to a supported kernel incorporating the cited stable correction.
- Check vendor guidance to map distribution kernel packages to the upstream fix commits.
- Where upgrading is delayed, assess whether nftables flow offload can be safely disabled.
- Monitor affected forwarding systems for abnormal kernel-memory growth and availability degradation.
Validation and detection
- Inventory running kernel versions on systems performing nftables-based packet forwarding.
- Determine whether nft_flow_offload and direct-transmit forwarding are active in each environment.
- Verify the installed kernel package includes the applicable cited stable correction.
- In controlled testing, check for recurring routing-object leaks under representative forwarding traffic.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CVE-2024-26834 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- High
- CVSS
- 7.5 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
SSVC decision data
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H3.93.6LinuxVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
7.5HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Vulnerability timeline
Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.
- CVE reservedCVE Program
The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.
- CVE publishedCVE Program
The CVE record was published.
- CVE updatedCVE Program
The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.
ADP provider summaries
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/13b57b5cd591d5b22f9bbf047b2922967de411f3CVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a6cafdb49a7bbf4a88367db209703eee6941e023CVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9256ab9232e35a16af9c30fa4e522e6d1bd3605aCVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2d17cf10179a7de6d8f0128168b84ad0b4a1863fCVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8762785f459be1cfe6fcf7285c123aad6a3703f0CVE reference, Linux
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.