CVE-2024-50045: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netfilter: br_netfilter: fix panic with metadata_dst skb Fix a kernel panic in the br

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netfilter: br_netfilter: fix panic with metadata_dst skb Fix a kernel panic in the br_netf

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netfilter: br_netfilter: fix panic with metadata_dst skb Fix a kernel panic in the br_netfilter module when sending untagged traffic via a VxLAN device. This happens during the check for fragmentation in br_nf_dev_queue_xmit. It is dependent on: 1) the br_netfilter module being loaded; 2) net.bridge.bridge-nf-call-iptables set to 1; 3) a bridge with a VxLAN (single-vxlan-device) netdevice as a bridge port; 4) untagged frames with size higher than the VxLAN MTU forwarded/flooded When forwarding the untagged packet to the VxLAN bridge port, before the netfilter hooks are called, br_handle_egress_vlan_tunnel is called and changes the skb_dst to the tunnel dst. The tunnel_dst is a metadata type of dst, i.e., skb_valid_dst(skb) is false, and metadata->dst.dev is NULL. Then in the br_netfilter hooks, in br_nf_dev_queue_xmit, there's a check for frames that needs to be fragmented: frames with higher MTU than the VxLAN device end up calling br_nf_ip_fragment, which in turns call ip_skb_dst_mtu. The ip_dst_mtu tries to use the skb_dst(skb) as if it was a valid dst with valid dst->dev, thus the crash. This case was ne

Description from the National Vulnerability Database, published by 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67

What it means for a small business

Linux is on the computers, phones or browsers your team uses every day. Turn on automatic updates and restart: most of these fixes only take effect after a restart.

How likely is an attack? The Exploit Prediction Scoring System, run by FIRST (the global association of security response teams), puts the odds of this one being exploited in the next 30 days at 0.61%, higher than 49% of CVEs. That’s low, but low isn’t zero, and the odds jump the day someone publishes an exploit. Scored November 5, 2026, updated daily.

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Sources

Part of the Huttenlocher Technologies vulnerability database, refreshed twice a day from CISA and the NVD. The title, category and plain-language guidance are ours; check the linked record before acting on a detail. This is general guidance, not a review of your systems.

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