Race Condition in Linux Kernel Affecting Network Operations

CVE-2026-31406

What is CVE-2026-31406?

A race condition exists in the Linux kernel that can lead to unintended behavior in network operations. Specifically, during the cleanup of network resources, the improper scheduling of delayed work associated with NAT keepalive can occur. When the cleanup sequence is interrupted, it may result in a scenario where freed memory is accessed, potentially compromising system stability. The issue has been addressed by replacing cancel_delayed_work_sync() with disable_delayed_work_sync(), ensuring that delayed execution does not occur after resources have been released.

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