CVE-2026-98374

tcp: fix use-after-free of retransmit_skb_hint in tcp_send_synack()

HIGH
8.8
CVSS Score
Published: October 7, 2026 at 01:01 PM UTC
Updated: October 24, 2026 at 02:16 PM UTC
1 product affected across 1 vendorLinux Kernel

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Severity
HIGH8.8
Exploit prediction
EPSS 0.3%

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: tcp: fix use-after-free of retransmit_skb_hint in tcp_send_synack() When tcp_send_synack() replaces the cloned SYN skb at the head of the retransmit queue with a copy, it frees the original with tcp_rtx_queue_unlink_and_free() and only repairs tp->highest_sack. tp->retransmit_skb_hint keeps pointing at the freed skbuff_fclone_cache object. The dangling hint is read in tcp_verify_retransmit_hint() and used as the root of the rbtree walk in tcp_xmit_retransmit_queue(). An unprivileged TFO client (sendmsg(MSG_FASTOPEN)) can arm the hint with an attacker-supplied ICMP fragmentation-needed message, after which a simultaneous open frees the armed SYN skb: BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in tcp_mark_skb_lost (net/ipv4/tcp_input.c:1316) Read of size 4 at addr ffff88800604d928 by task swapper/1/0 Call Trace: tcp_mark_skb_lost (net/ipv4/tcp_input.c:1316) tcp_simple_retransmit (net/ipv4/tcp_input.c:3158) tcp_v4_err (net/ipv4/tcp_ipv4.c:587) Sync the hint to the copy.

Affected

Our own answer: ranges merged, affected separated from platform-only, with confidence and review flags.

Vendor states this is fixed in 5.11 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 5.15.* (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 5.15.222 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.1.* (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.1.189 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.12.* (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.12.112 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.18.* (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.18.55 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.6.* (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.6.158 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 7.2.* (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 7.2.9 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 7.3 (unaffected)

Remediation

No guide yet

No remediation guidance has been written for this CVE yet, and no fixed version or vendor advisory is recorded against it.

CVSS

8.8HIGHLinux
Vector?

Quick Info

StatusRECEIVED

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