CVE-2012-6638: The tcp_rcv_state_process function in net/ipv4/tcp_input.c in the Linux kernel before 3.2.24 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of…

Affected versions

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

• linux linux kernelbefore 3.0.38
• linux linux kernel3.1 and later · before 3.2.24

Package-level exposure

OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

• CVE-2026-31431crypto: algif_aead - Revert to operating out-of-placeKEV
  90Now
• CVE-2022-0847A flaw was found in the way the "flags" member of the new pipe buffer structure was lacking proper initialization in copy_page_to_iter_pipe…KEV
  89Now
• CVE-2021-22555Heap Out-Of-Bounds Write in Netfilter IP6T_SO_SET_REPLACEKEV
  85Now

Published before and after this one in the same product

• ← EarlierCVE-2014-0038Feb 6, 2014 · The compat_sys_recvmmsg function in net/compat.c in the Linux kernel before 3.13.2, when CONFIG_X86_X32 is enabled, allows local users to…
  40Plan
• ← EarlierCVE-2011-2909Feb 15, 2014 · The do_devinfo_ioctl function in drivers/staging/comedi/comedi_fops.c in the Linux kernel before 3.1 allows local users to obtain sensitive…
  19Monitor
• Later →CVE-2014-0069Feb 28, 2014 · The cifs_iovec_write function in fs/cifs/file.c in the Linux kernel through 3.13.5 does not properly handle uncached write operations that…
  28Monitor

Root cause

Code that parses nested structures sets no depth or size limit. A small input can turn into a disproportionate processing load.

A representative example of this vulnerability class. Not the vendor's source code; it shows the faulty pattern and its fix.

1function expand(node) {2  return node.children.map(expand);3}

1const MAX_DEPTH = 32;2function expand(node, depth = 0) {3  if (depth > MAX_DEPTH) throw new Error("too deep");4  return node.children.map((c) => expand(c, depth + 1));5}

Attack context

MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.