CVE-2026-72429
Received Received - Intake

Type Confusion in Linux Kernel IPv6 IOAM

Vulnerability report for CVE-2026-72429, including description, CVSS score, EPSS score, affected products, exploitability, helpful resources, and attack-flow context.

Publication date: 2026-08-15

Last updated on: 2026-08-17

Assigner: kernel.org

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ipv6: ioam: fix type confusion of dst_entry IOAM uses a dummy dst_entry(null_dst) to mark that the destination should not be changed after the transformation. This dst is stored in the IOAM lwt state and may be passed to dst_cache_set_ip6(). However, the IPv6 dst cache path eventually calls rt6_get_cookie(), which treats the dst_entry as part of a struct rt6_info. Since the null_dst was embedded directly as a struct dst_entry in struct ioam6_lwt, this resulted in an invalid cast and rt6_get_cookie() reading fields from the wrong object. In practice, the wrong cookie is not used while dst->obsolete is zero, but rt6_get_cookie() may also access per-cpu value when rt->sernum is zero. In this case, rt->sernum aliases ioam6_lwt::cache::reset_ts, which can become zero, making this a potential invalid pointer access. Fix this by embedding a full struct rt6_info for the dummy IPv6 route and passing its dst member to the dst APIs.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-08-15
Last Modified
2026-08-17
Generated
2026-09-04
AI Q&A
2026-08-15
EPSS Evaluated
2026-09-03
NVD
EUVD

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
linux_kernel linux_kernel *

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

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CWE ID Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

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Executive Summary

This is a type confusion vulnerability in the Linux kernel's IPv6 IOAM (In-situ Operations, Administration, and Maintenance) implementation. It occurs when a dummy dst_entry is incorrectly cast as part of a struct rt6_info, leading to potential invalid pointer access when rt6_get_cookie() reads fields from the wrong memory location.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to the Linux kernel's IPv6 IOAM implementation. Detection requires checking kernel logs for IOAM-related errors or crashes. Use commands like 'dmesg | grep ioam' or 'journalctl -k | grep ioam' to search for related messages. If the system uses IOAM features, monitor for unexpected behavior in IPv6 routing.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability could allow an attacker to cause a kernel crash or execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges by triggering the type confusion condition. It may lead to denial-of-service or privilege escalation on affected systems.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability does not directly affect compliance with GDPR, HIPAA, or similar standards. It is a low-level Linux kernel issue involving type confusion in IPv6 IOAM handling, which could lead to invalid memory access but does not involve data exposure or privacy violations typically addressed by these regulations.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the kernel patch that fixes this issue. If patching is not immediately possible, disable IPv6 IOAM features by setting 'sysctl net.ipv6.ioam.enabled=0' or removing IOAM-related kernel modules. Monitor for crashes or memory corruption as indicators of exploitation.

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