Linux KernelOperating system · Linux

CVE-2026-31663

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-04-24
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 3.3 / 3.17 or later.
See remediation →
80/100
Remediation priority · High
Zero-click Patch available

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: xfrm: hold dev ref until after transport_finish NF_HOOK After async crypto completes, xfrm_input_resume() calls dev_put() immediately on re-entry before the skb reaches transport_finish. The skb->dev pointer is then used inside NF_HOOK and its okfn, which can race with device teardown. Remove the dev_put from the async resumption entry and instead drop the reference after the NF_HOOK call in transport_finish, using a saved device pointer since NF_HOOK may consume the skb. This covers NF_DROP, NF_QUEUE and NF_STOLEN paths that skip the okfn. For non-transport exits (decaps, gro, drop) and secondary async return points, release the reference inline when async is set.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis

A detailed technical summary for this CVE is being prepared.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Linux KernelOperating system
Affected:>= 3.2.100, < 3.3>= 3.16.55, < 3.17>= 4.14.24, < 4.15>= 4.15.1, < 6.18.23>= 6.19, < 6.19.13= 4.15= 7.0

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 3.3 / 3.17 / 4.15 or later
Fixed in 3.33.174.15
Vendor patch git.kernel.org →
Recommended fix High confidence

Kernel 6.18.23 or later (or stable branches >= 3.3, >= 3.17, >= 4.15 that include the fix commit)

  1. Identify the currently running kernel version using `uname -r`
  2. Check if your current version falls within the affected range: 3.2.100-3.2.x, 3.16.55-3.16.x, 4.14.24-4.14.x, or 4.15.1-6.18.22
  3. Upgrade the Linux kernel to version 6.18.23 or later, or to a stable branch version that includes commit 0f451b43c88bf2b9c038b414be580efee42e031b
  4. For older affected branches, upgrade to: 3.3 or later, 3.17 or later, or 4.15 or later
  5. After kernel upgrade, reboot the system to load the fixed kernel
  6. Verify the fix is applied by checking the kernel version and reviewing the changelog for commit 0f451b43c88bf2b9c038b414be580efee42e031b
Caveat Kernel upgrades may require hardware driver updates; ensure compatibility with system hardware and installed modules before upgrading

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

We can perform the upgrade in your staging environment and verify nothing breaks — typical engagement from $1,950. Get the upgrade done

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2026-31663 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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