In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

xfrm: nat_keepalive: avoid double free on send error

nat_keepalive_send() frees the keepalive skb whenever the IPv4 or IPv6
send helper reports an error.

That cleanup is only correct before the skb is handed to the output
path. Once ip_build_and_send_pkt() or ip6_xmit() takes ownership, the
networking stack may already have consumed the skb before returning an
error, so freeing it again is unsafe.

Handle the pre-handoff failure cases inside nat_keepalive_send_ipv4()
and nat_keepalive_send_ipv6(), where the caller still owns the skb, and
keep nat_keepalive_send() responsible only for family dispatch and the
unsupported-family cleanup path.

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History

Sat, 15 Aug 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: xfrm: nat_keepalive: avoid double free on send error nat_keepalive_send() frees the keepalive skb whenever the IPv4 or IPv6 send helper reports an error. That cleanup is only correct before the skb is handed to the output path. Once ip_build_and_send_pkt() or ip6_xmit() takes ownership, the networking stack may already have consumed the skb before returning an error, so freeing it again is unsafe. Handle the pre-handoff failure cases inside nat_keepalive_send_ipv4() and nat_keepalive_send_ipv6(), where the caller still owns the skb, and keep nat_keepalive_send() responsible only for family dispatch and the unsupported-family cleanup path.
Title xfrm: nat_keepalive: avoid double free on send error
First Time appeared Linux
Linux linux Kernel
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Linux
Linux linux Kernel
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cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: Linux

Published:

Updated: 2026-08-15T05:53:11.812Z

Reserved: 2026-08-09T03:40:39.908Z

Link: CVE-2026-72137

cve-icon Vulnrichment

No data.

cve-icon NVD

Status : Received

Published: 2026-08-15T06:21:31.223

Modified: 2026-08-15T06:21:31.223

Link: CVE-2026-72137

cve-icon Redhat

No data.

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

Updated: 2026-08-15T08:45:05Z

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