CVE-2026-45905
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Race Condition in Linux Kernel XFRM ICMP Route Lookup
Publication date: 2026-05-27
Last updated on: 2026-05-27
Assigner: kernel.org
Description
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
xfrm: fix ip_rt_bug race in icmp_route_lookup reverse path
icmp_route_lookup() performs multiple route lookups to find a suitable
route for sending ICMP error messages, with special handling for XFRM
(IPsec) policies.
The lookup sequence is:
1. First, lookup output route for ICMP reply (dst = original src)
2. Pass through xfrm_lookup() for policy check
3. If blocked (-EPERM) or dst is not local, enter "reverse path"
4. In reverse path, call xfrm_decode_session_reverse() to get fl4_dec
which reverses the original packet's flow (saddr<->daddr swapped)
5. If fl4_dec.saddr is local (we are the original destination), use
__ip_route_output_key() for output route lookup
6. If fl4_dec.saddr is NOT local (we are a forwarding node), use
ip_route_input() to simulate the reverse packet's input path
7. Finally, pass rt2 through xfrm_lookup() with XFRM_LOOKUP_ICMP flag
The bug occurs in step 6: ip_route_input() is called with fl4_dec.daddr
(original packet's source) as destination. If this address becomes local
between the initial check and ip_route_input() call (e.g., due to
concurrent "ip addr add"), ip_route_input() returns a LOCAL route with
dst.output set to ip_rt_bug.
This route is then used for ICMP output, causing dst_output() to call
ip_rt_bug(), triggering a WARN_ON:
------------[ cut here ]------------
WARNING: net/ipv4/route.c:1275 at ip_rt_bug+0x21/0x30, CPU#1
Call Trace:
<TASK>
ip_push_pending_frames+0x202/0x240
icmp_push_reply+0x30d/0x430
__icmp_send+0x1149/0x24f0
ip_options_compile+0xa2/0xd0
ip_rcv_finish_core+0x829/0x1950
ip_rcv+0x2d7/0x420
__netif_receive_skb_one_core+0x185/0x1f0
netif_receive_skb+0x90/0x450
tun_get_user+0x3413/0x3fb0
tun_chr_write_iter+0xe4/0x220
...
Fix this by checking rt2->rt_type after ip_route_input(). If it's
RTN_LOCAL, the route cannot be used for output, so treat it as an error.
The reproducer requires kernel modification to widen the race window,
making it unsuitable as a selftest. It is available at:
https://gist.github.com/mrpre/eae853b72ac6a750f5d45d64ddac1e81
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Meta Information
Affected Vendors & Products
| Vendor | Product | Version / Range |
|---|---|---|
| linux | linux_kernel | * |
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
CWE
KEV
| CWE ID | Description |
|---|---|
| CWE-UNKNOWN |
Attack-Flow Graph
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