# CVE-2026-31516: CVE-2026-31516

Status: published. Published: 2026-04-22. Updated: 2026-11-11.

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

xfrm: prevent policy_hthresh.work from racing with netns teardown

A XFRM_MSG_NEWSPDINFO request can queue the per-net work item
policy_hthresh.work onto the system workqueue.

The queued callback, xfrm_hash_rebuild(), retrieves the enclosing
struct net via container_of(). If the net namespace is torn down
before that work runs, the associated struct net may already have
been freed, and xfrm_hash_rebuild() may then dereference stale memory.

xfrm_policy_fini() already flushes policy_hash_work during teardown,
but it does not synchronize policy_hthresh.work.

Synchronize policy_hthresh.work in xfrm_policy_fini() as well, so the
queued work cannot outlive the net namespace teardown and access a
freed struct net.

## Remediation

- fix: The reporting source identifies this reference as a patch. Check the advisory for affected versions and supported release branches. (source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67) — https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/29fe3a61bcdce398ee3955101c39f89c01a8a77e
- fix: The reporting source identifies this reference as a patch. Check the advisory for affected versions and supported release branches. (source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67) — https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4e2e77843fef473ef47e322d52436d8308582a96
- fix: The reporting source identifies this reference as a patch. Check the advisory for affected versions and supported release branches. (source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67) — https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/56ea2257b83ee29a543f158159e3d1abc1e3e4fe
- fix: The reporting source identifies this reference as a patch. Check the advisory for affected versions and supported release branches. (source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67) — https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8854e9367465d784046362698731c1111e3b39b8

## Affected products and versions

- linux / linux_kernel: ≥ 3.18.1; < 6.12.80 (affected, custom). Source: NVD
- linux / linux_kernel: ≥ 6.13; < 6.18.21 (affected, custom). Source: NVD
- linux / linux_kernel: ≥ 6.19; < 6.19.11 (affected, custom). Source: NVD
- linux / linux_kernel: 3.18 (affected, custom). Source: NVD
- linux / linux_kernel: 7.0 (affected, custom). Source: NVD

## NVD configuration conditions

Affected CPE matches depend on the following AND/OR and negation conditions:

```json
[
  {
    "negate": false,
    "nodes": [
      {
        "cpeMatch": [
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "versionEndExcluding": "6.12.80",
            "versionStartIncluding": "3.18.1",
            "vulnerable": true
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "versionEndExcluding": "6.18.21",
            "versionStartIncluding": "6.13",
            "vulnerable": true
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "versionEndExcluding": "6.19.11",
            "versionStartIncluding": "6.19",
            "vulnerable": true
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:3.18:-:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc6:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc7:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true
          }
        ],
        "negate": false,
        "operator": "OR"
      }
    ],
    "operator": "OR"
  }
]
```

## Severity and prioritization

- CVSS 3.1: 7.8 (high); CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H; source: NVD: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67

- CISA KEV: No listing in collected sources

- EPSS: Not available

- SSVC: exploitation none; automatable no; technical impact total; source NVD SSVC: 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0

- Weaknesses: CWE-362, CWE-416

## Exploit evidence

No exploit evidence in collected sources. This is not proof of no exploitation.

## References

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/29fe3a61bcdce398ee3955101c39f89c01a8a77e (416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67; Patch)

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4e2e77843fef473ef47e322d52436d8308582a96 (416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67; Patch)

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/56ea2257b83ee29a543f158159e3d1abc1e3e4fe (416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67; Patch)

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8854e9367465d784046362698731c1111e3b39b8 (416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67; Patch)

## Provenance

- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-31516; retrieved 2026-11-12; source updated 2026-11-11

Revision: 01a4881a55a36916503dfe09ded68fc003029d53d379685a5cd576eddd0ab6a2

Canonical: https://y2.dev/cve/CVE-2026-31516

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