A use‑after‑free flaw (CWE‑416) exists in the nf_tables component of the Linux kernel where a chain added to a table can be freed while still being read by RCU code paths, both on the control plane and during packet processing. Based on the description, it is inferred that a local attacker could trigger a kernel crash by causing a chain registration failure while the chain is still being accessed. The vulnerability may lead to denial‑of‑service rather than privilege escalation.

The flaw affects the Linux kernel broadly; no specific version numbers are listed in the advisory, but all kernel releases that include the legacy nf_tables implementation are potentially vulnerable. Linux kernel users who employ nf_tables for firewall or packet filtering should be aware that any chain configuration could trigger the bug if a registration fails during hook installation.

The vulnerability’s CVSS score of 7.8 places it in the high‑risk category, and the reported exploitation probability is very low, estimated under 1%. It is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog. The lack of an RCU grace period means any concurrent read activity could trigger a use‑after‑free while the kernel processes control‑plane or packet‑path requests. Attackers with local privileges could exploit the race by creating a chain whose registration fails, causing the kernel to crash. The danger lies primarily in system instability and denial‑of‑service.