high CVSS 8.1

CVE-2026-99270·Kernel vulnerability

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: tcp: Fix potential UAF in reqsk_timer_handler(). When TCP socket migration fails at inet_ehash_insert() in reqsk_timer_handler(), we jump to the no_ownership: label and free the new reqsk immediately with __reqsk_free(). Thus, we must stop the new reqsk's timer before jumping to the label, but the timer might be missed since the cited commit, resulting in UAF. As we are in the original reqsk's timer context, we can safely call timer_delete_sync() for the new reqsk. Let's pass false to __inet_csk_reqsk_queue_drop() to stop the new reqsk's timer.

Severity
high
Software
Kernel
Fixed in
7.1
Published

How to fix this CVE

Update your Linux kernel to version 7.1 or later to patch a use-after-free (UAF) vulnerability in TCP socket migration. This flaw occurs when timer cleanup is missed during failed socket migration in the reqsk_timer_handler() function, potentially leading to memory corruption or system instability. Apply the update immediately as this affects kernel stability and reliability.

sudo dnf update kernel kernel-devel && sudo reboot

Defensia detects this vulnerability

How to check if you are affected

  1. Check your kernel version by running: uname -r
  2. Compare the version output against kernel 7.1 or later; versions below 7.1 are vulnerable
  3. Review kernel logs for UAF-related crashes using: dmesg | grep -i 'use-after-free\|uaf\|null pointer'
  4. After patching, reboot and verify the new kernel is active: uname -r should show version 7.1 or higher
  5. Confirm timer-related TCP socket handling is stable by monitoring: journalctl -k | grep 'reqsk\|socket'

FAQ

What is CVE-2026-99270?

This is a use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's TCP layer, specifically in the reqsk_timer_handler() function. When socket migration fails, the timer associated with the new request socket may not be properly cleaned up, leading to potential memory corruption or denial of service.

Is CVE-2026-99270 being actively exploited?

No, this CVE is not listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog and no public exploits are currently available.

What versions of Kernel are affected by CVE-2026-99270?

All kernel versions prior to 7.1 are affected by this vulnerability. Kernel version 7.1 and later include the necessary timer cleanup fix.

How do I check if my server is vulnerable to CVE-2026-99270?

Run 'uname -r' and compare your kernel version to 7.1. If your version is below 7.1, your system is vulnerable.

Does Defensia detect CVE-2026-99270?

Yes — Defensia's CVE advisory scanner compares installed package versions against the NVD database. If the Linux kernel is installed on a monitored server, CVE-2026-99270 will appear in your dashboard with remediation steps.

Related Kernel CVEs

CVE-2026-63795CVSS 10In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: 9p: avoid putting oldfid in p9_client_walk() error path When p9_client_walk() is called with clone set to false, fid aliases oldfid. If the walk subsequently fails after the request has been sent, the error path jumps to clunk_fid, which currently calls p9_fid_put(fid) unconditionally. This drops a reference to oldfid even though ownership of oldfid remains with the caller. If this is the last reference, oldfid can be clunked and destroyed while the caller still expects it to be valid. A later use or put of oldfid can then trigger a use-after-free or refcount underflow. Fix this by only putting fid in the clunk_fid error path when it does not alias oldfid, matching the existing guard in the error path below. This can be triggered when a multi-component walk is split into multiple p9_client_walk() calls and a later non-cloning walk fails. A reproducer and refcount warning logs are available on request.
CVE-2026-53260CVSS 9.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: tcp: Add preempt_{disable,enable}_nested() in reqsk_queue_hash_req(). syzbot reported a weird reqsk->rsk_refcnt underflow in __inet_csk_reqsk_queue_drop(). The captured reqsk_put() in __inet_csk_reqsk_queue_drop() is called only when it successfully removes reqsk from ehash. Moreover, reqsk_timer_handler() calls another reqsk_put() after that. This indicates that the reqsk was missing both refcnts for ehash and the timer itself. Since all the syzbot reports had PREEMPT_RT enabled, the only possible scenario is that reqsk_queue_hash_req() is preempted after mod_timer() and before refcount_set(), and then the timer triggered after 1s aborts the reqsk due to its listener's close(). Let's wrap mod_timer() and refcount_set() with preempt_disable_nested() and preempt_enable_nested(). Note that inet_ehash_insert() holds the normal spin_lock() (mutex in PREEMPT_RT), so it must be called outside of preempt_disable_nested(), but this is fine. The lookup path just ignores 0 sk_refcnt entries in ehash and tries to create another reqsk, but this will fail at inet_ehash_insert(). [0]: refcount_t: underflow; use-after-free. WARNING: lib/refcount.c:28 at refcount_warn_saturate+0xb2/0x110 lib/refcount.c:28, CPU#0: ktimers/0/16 Modules linked in: CPU: 0 UID: 0 PID: 16 Comm: ktimers/0 Tainted: G L syzkaller #0 PREEMPT_{RT,(full)} Tainted: [L]=SOFTLOCKUP Hardware name: Google Google Compute Engine/Google Compute Engine, BIOS Google 04/18/2026 RIP: 0010:refcount_warn_saturate+0xb2/0x110 lib/refcount.c:28 Code: e4 7d d1 0a 67 48 0f b9 3a eb 4a e8 38 3d 23 fd 48 8d 3d e1 7d d1 0a 67 48 0f b9 3a eb 37 e8 25 3d 23 fd 48 8d 3d de 7d d1 0a <67> 48 0f b9 3a eb 24 e8 12 3d 23 fd 48 8d 3d db 7d d1 0a 67 48 0f RSP: 0000:ffffc90000157948 EFLAGS: 00010246 RAX: ffffffff84a1301b RBX: 0000000000000003 RCX: ffff88801ca98000 RDX: 0000000000000100 RSI: 0000000000000000 RDI: ffffffff8f72ae00 RBP: ffffffff99ae3b01 R08: ffff88801ca98000 R09: 0000000000000005 R10: 0000000000000100 R11: 0000000000000004 R12: ffff8880425ef568 R13: ffff8880425ef4f8 R14: ffff8880425ef578 R15: 0000000000000000 FS: 0000000000000000(0000) GS:ffff888126386000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000 CS: 0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033 CR2: 00007f7b46710e9c CR3: 000000000dbb6000 CR4: 00000000003526f0 Call Trace: <TASK> __refcount_sub_and_test include/linux/refcount.h:400 [inline] __refcount_dec_and_test include/linux/refcount.h:432 [inline] refcount_dec_and_test include/linux/refcount.h:450 [inline] reqsk_put include/net/request_sock.h:136 [inline] __inet_csk_reqsk_queue_drop+0x3ce/0x440 net/ipv4/inet_connection_sock.c:1007 reqsk_timer_handler+0x651/0xdf0 net/ipv4/inet_connection_sock.c:1137 call_timer_fn+0x192/0x5e0 kernel/time/timer.c:1748 expire_timers kernel/time/timer.c:1799 [inline] __run_timers kernel/time/timer.c:2374 [inline] __run_timer_base+0x6a3/0x9f0 kernel/time/timer.c:2386 run_timer_base kernel/time/timer.c:2395 [inline] run_timer_softirq+0x67/0x170 kernel/time/timer.c:2403 handle_softirqs+0x1de/0x6d0 kernel/softirq.c:622 __do_softirq kernel/softirq.c:656 [inline] run_ktimerd+0x69/0x100 kernel/softirq.c:1151 smpboot_thread_fn+0x541/0xa50 kernel/smpboot.c:160 kthread+0x388/0x470 kernel/kthread.c:436 ret_from_fork+0x514/0xb70 arch/x86/kernel/process.c:158 ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30 arch/x86/entry/entry_64.S:245 </TASK>
CVE-2026-64113CVSS 9.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ixgbevf: fix use-after-free in VEPA multicast source pruning ixgbevf_clean_rx_irq() prunes frames whose source MAC matches the VF's own address (VEPA multicast workaround) by freeing the skb and continuing to the next descriptor: dev_kfree_skb_irq(skb); continue; The skb pointer is declared outside the while loop and persists across iterations. Because the continue skips the "skb = NULL" reset at the bottom of the loop, the next iteration enters the "else if (skb)" path and calls ixgbevf_add_rx_frag() on the freed skb, dereferencing skb_shinfo(skb)->nr_frags - a use-after-free in NAPI softirq context. The sibling driver iavf already handles this correctly by nulling the pointer before continuing. Apply the same pattern here. I do not have ixgbevf hardware; the bug was found by static analysis (scan_drop_continue_loops.py + semgrep drop_continue_in_loop, multi-tool corroboration with the highest score in the scan). The UAF was confirmed under KASAN by loading a test module that reproduces the exact code pattern (alloc skb, kfree_skb, then read skb_shinfo(skb)->nr_frags): BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in ixgbevf_uaf_test_init+0x100/0x1000 Read of size 8 at addr 000000006163ae78 by task insmod/30 freed 208-byte region [000000006163adc0, 000000006163ae90) QEMU emulates igb (82576) but not ixgbe (82599), and the igbvf VF driver does not include the VEPA source pruning path, so a full end-to-end reproduction with emulated hardware was not possible.
CVE-2026-52914CVSS 9.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: batman-adv: fix fragment reassembly length accounting batman-adv keeps a running payload length for queued fragments and uses it to validate a fragment chain before reassembly. That accounting currently allows the accumulated fragment length to be truncated during updates. As a result, malformed fragment chains can bypass the intended validation and drive reassembly with inconsistent length state, leading to a local denial of service. Fix the accounting by storing the accumulated length in a length-typed field and rejecting update overflows before the existing validation logic runs. The fix was verified against the original reproducer and against valid fragment reassembly paths.
CVE-2026-52993CVSS 9.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: tipc: fix double-free in tipc_buf_append() tipc_msg_validate() can potentially reallocate the skb it is validating, freeing the old one. In tipc_buf_append(), it was being called with a pointer to a local variable which was a copy of the caller's skb pointer. If the skb was reallocated and validation subsequently failed, the error handling path would free the original skb pointer, which had already been freed, leading to double-free. Fix this by checking if head now points to a newly allocated reassembled skb. If it does, reassign *headbuf for later freeing operations.

References

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