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Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2026-72338

🗓️ 15 Aug 2026 00:00:00Reported by TenableType 
nessus
 nessus
🔗 www.tenable.com👁 6 Views

Unpatched TOCTOU race in Linux act_pedit causes heap OOB write requiring CAP_NET_ADMIN.

Related
Refs
Code
ReporterTitlePublishedViews
Family
cve
CVE
CVE-2026-72338
15 Aug 202605:55
cve
cvelist
Cvelist
CVE-2026-72338 net/sched: act_pedit: fix TOCTOU heap OOB write in tc offload
15 Aug 202605:55
cvelist
debiancve
Debian CVE
CVE-2026-72338
15 Aug 202605:55
debiancve
euvd
EUVD
EUVD-2026-59237
15 Aug 202605:55
euvd
nvd
NVD
CVE-2026-72338
15 Aug 202606:22
nvd
osv
OSV
DEBIAN-CVE-2026-72338
15 Aug 202606:22
osv
osv
OSV
UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72338
17 Aug 202600:00
osv
ptsecurity
Positive Technologies
PT-2026-72526
15 Aug 202600:00
ptsecurity
#%NASL_MIN_LEVEL 80900
##
# (C) Tenable, Inc.
##

include('compat.inc');

if (description)
{
  script_id(335724);
  script_version("1.1");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_modification_date", value:"2026/08/15");

  script_cve_id("CVE-2026-72338");

  script_name(english:"Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2026-72338");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"synopsis", value:
"The Linux/Unix host has one or more packages installed with a vulnerability that the vendor indicates will not be
patched.");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"description", value:
"The Linux/Unix host has one or more packages installed that are impacted by a vulnerability without a vendor supplied
patch available.

  - net/sched: act_pedit: fix TOCTOU heap OOB write in tc offload There is a TOCTOU race condition in flower
    lockless approach between sizing a flow_rule buffer and filling it. [email protected]
    reports: The cls_flower classifier operates with TCF_PROTO_OPS_DOIT_UNLOCKED (fl_change runs without
    RTNL), while RTM_NEWACTION holds RTNL, so the independent locking domains make the race reachable in
    practice. KASAN confirms: BUG: KASAN: slab-out-of-bounds in tcf_pedit_offload_act_setup+0x81b/0x930 Write
    of size 4 at addr ffff888001f27520 by task poc-toctou/312 The buggy address is located 0 bytes to the
    right of allocated 288-byte region [ffff888001f27400, ffff888001f27520) (cache kmalloc-512) Note: The
    result is a heap OOB write attacker-controlled content into the adjacent slab object (requires
    CAP_NET_ADMIN). The fix introduces reading tcfp_nkeys under act->tcfa_lock in all places using a new
    tcf_pedit_nkeys_locked() which replaces the old tcf_pedit_nkeys(). Additionally we close the remaining
    TOCTOU window between the sizing read and the fill reads by more careful accounting. Rather than silently
    truncating the key count, which leads to incorrect action semantics offloaded to hardware and secondary
    OOB writes if the remaining capacity is zero or consumed by prior actions, we enforce remaining capacity
    checks and return -ENOSPC if the required space exceeds the remaining capacity. (CVE-2026-72338)

Note that Nessus relies on the presence of the package as reported by the vendor.");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"see_also", value:"https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2026-72338");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"solution", value:
"There is no known solution at this time.");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"agent", value:"unix");
  script_set_cvss_base_vector("CVSS2#AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P");
  script_set_cvss_temporal_vector("CVSS2#E:U/RL:U/RC:C");
  script_set_cvss3_base_vector("CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H");
  script_set_cvss3_temporal_vector("CVSS:3.0/E:U/RL:U/RC:C");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cvss_score_source", value:"CVE-2026-72338");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"exploitability_ease", value:"No known exploits are available");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"exploit_available", value:"false");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"vendor_unpatched", value:"true");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"vuln_publication_date", value:"2026/08/15");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_publication_date", value:"2026/08/15");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_type", value:"local");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:debian:debian_linux:11.0");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:debian:debian_linux:12.0");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:debian:debian_linux:linux");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"generated_plugin", value:"current");
  script_end_attributes();

  script_category(ACT_GATHER_INFO);
  script_family(english:"Misc.");

  script_copyright(english:"This script is Copyright (C) 2026 and is owned by Tenable, Inc. or an Affiliate thereof.");

  script_dependencies("ssh_get_info2.nasl", "set_linux_os_id.nasl");
  script_require_keys("Host/cpu", "Host/local_checks_enabled", "global_settings/vendor_unpatched", "Host/OS/identifier");
  script_require_ports("Host/OS/Debian Linux-11", "Host/OS/Debian Linux-12");

  exit(0);
}

if (!get_kb_item("global_settings/vendor_unpatched")) exit(0, "Unpatched Vulnerabilities Detection not active.");
if (!get_kb_item("Host/local_checks_enabled")) audit(AUDIT_LOCAL_CHECKS_NOT_ENABLED);
if (empty_or_null(get_one_kb_item("Host/Debian/dpkg-l"))) audit(AUDIT_PACKAGE_LIST_MISSING);

include('linux_unpatched.inc');

var distro_constraints_array = {
  "Debian Linux-12": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "12",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "btrfs-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "cdrom-core-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "ext4-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "fat-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "isofs-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "jfs-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "kernel-image-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "linux-doc"},
          {"reference": "linux-doc-6.1"},
          {"reference": "linux-headers-6.1.0"},
          {"reference": "linux-source"},
          {"reference": "linux-source-6.1"},
          {"reference": "linux-support-6.1.0"},
          {"reference": "loop-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "nic-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "nic-shared-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "nic-wireless-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "pata-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "ppp-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "scsi-core-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "scsi-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "scsi-nic-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "serial-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "usb-serial-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "xfs-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "Debian Linux-11": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "11",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "bpftool"},
          {"reference": "btrfs-modules-5.10.0-32-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "cdrom-core-modules-5.10.0-32-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "hyperv-daemons"},
          {"reference": "kernel-image-5.10.0-32-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "libcpupower-dev"},
          {"reference": "libcpupower1"},
          {"reference": "linux-bootwrapper-5.10.0"},
          {"reference": "linux-config-5.10"},
          {"reference": "linux-cpupower"},
          {"reference": "linux-doc"},
          {"reference": "linux-doc-5.10"},
          {"reference": "linux-headers-5.10.0"},
          {"reference": "linux-kbuild-5.10"},
          {"reference": "linux-libc-dev"},
          {"reference": "linux-perf"},
          {"reference": "linux-perf-5.10"},
          {"reference": "linux-source"},
          {"reference": "linux-source-5.10"},
          {"reference": "linux-support-5.10.0"},
          {"reference": "loop-modules-5.10.0-32-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "nic-modules-5.10.0-32-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "nic-shared-modules-5.10.0-32-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "nic-wireless-modules-5.10.0-32-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "pata-modules-5.10.0-32-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "ppp-modules-5.10.0-32-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "scsi-core-modules-5.10.0-32-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "scsi-modules-5.10.0-32-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "scsi-nic-modules-5.10.0-32-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "serial-modules-5.10.0-32-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "usb-serial-modules-5.10.0-32-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "usbip"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
};

var distro_constraints_values = linux_unpatched::get_distro_constraints(distro_constraints_arr:distro_constraints_array);
if (empty_or_null(distro_constraints_values)) audit(AUDIT_HOST_NOT, 'affected');

var third_party_support = get_kb_item('Host/OS/extended-third-party');
if (!empty_or_null(third_party_support)) {
    var third_party_vendors = distro_constraints_values['third_party'];
    if (!empty_or_null(third_party_vendors)) {
        var vendor;
        foreach vendor (third_party_vendors) {
            if (vendor == third_party_support) exit(0, 'A third party management patch is available for this vulnerability from ' + vendor + '.\n');
        }
    }
}

var report = linux_unpatched::check_unpatched_constraints(distro_constraints_values:distro_constraints_values);

if (!empty_or_null(report))
{
  security_report_v4(
      port       : 0,
      severity   : SECURITY_WARNING,
      extra      : report
  );
  exit(0);
}
else
{
  audit(AUDIT_HOST_NOT, 'affected');
}

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15 Aug 2026 00:00Current
5.9Medium risk
Vulners AI Score5.9
CVSS 3.17.8
EPSS0.002
6