CVE-2026-98374: tcp: fix use-after-free of retransmit_skb_hint in tcp_send_synack()
Noroxi assessment
Priority: Monitor (action score 35/100)
- The sources we track (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei, GitHub) show no public exploit code or exploitation in the wild.
- Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 0.29% (FIRST EPSS).
- Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it. No account or password is required. A user must open a link or visit a page. No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
- Fixed version: Linux Linux 0f87720c7e4bcab07c24888b3cf12bfe857bb90e, 631aa4cb45099f09e9385dd786bd291c6270bfc4, 71d45049b0d631dfdbf3c65305f7fca676de023b; azl3 kernel 6.6.157.1-1 on Azure Linux 3.0 6.6.158.1-1.
Low priority for now. Upgrade to Linux Linux 0f87720c7e4bcab07c24888b3cf12bfe857bb90e, 631aa4cb45099f09e9385dd786bd291c6270bfc4, 71d45049b0d631dfdbf3c65305f7fca676de023b; azl3 kernel 6.6.157.1-1 on Azure Linux 3.0 6.6.158.1-1 or later.
Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it
Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS
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.
- Published
- Oct 7, 2026
- Updated
- Oct 24, 2026
- EPSS
- 0.2% · 21th percentile
- CWE
- —
Report tools
Action score
35
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 35 / 40 · 8.8 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 0 / 30 · 0.2%
CNA vs NVD score
- NVD
- —
- CNA · Linux
- 8.8
- NVD has not scored this yet; the score shown is the CNA’s.
The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.
Get told when this record changes
- Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
- No public exploit code on record
- A fix has been released
If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.
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Noroxi analysis
What does it mean in your environment?
The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.
We use this product, ask for helpAffected systems
Is your version affected?
Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.
—
Versions reported by the vendor
Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (Linux). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.
Linux Linux
- 5.11affected
- c31b70c9968fe9c4194d1b5d06d07596a3b680de and later · before fad6d429651e748365e93ca54645accc212f0018affected · git
- c31b70c9968fe9c4194d1b5d06d07596a3b680de and later · before c5b4da1f403a658c1c19766be2b426003ada419faffected · git
- c31b70c9968fe9c4194d1b5d06d07596a3b680de and later · before 71d45049b0d631dfdbf3c65305f7fca676de023baffected · git
- c31b70c9968fe9c4194d1b5d06d07596a3b680de and later · before e3ea71cb1408a013ed4e8a757b815f1a919324bdaffected · git
- c31b70c9968fe9c4194d1b5d06d07596a3b680de and later · before 631aa4cb45099f09e9385dd786bd291c6270bfc4affected · git
- c31b70c9968fe9c4194d1b5d06d07596a3b680de and later · before 0f87720c7e4bcab07c24888b3cf12bfe857bb90eaffected · git
- c31b70c9968fe9c4194d1b5d06d07596a3b680de and later · before fe99bbeee5c5dbd3abc30721a8079ced59649d97affected · git
- before 5.11not affected · semver
- 5.15.222 and later · up to and including 5.15.*not affected · semver
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian:12 | linux | before 6.1.190-1 | 6.1.190-1 |
| Debian:12 | linux-6.12 | before 6.12.113-1~deb12u1 | 6.12.113-1~deb12u1 |
| Debian:13 | linux | before 6.12.113-1 | 6.12.113-1 |
| Debian:14 | linux | before 7.2.9-1 | 7.2.9-1 |
Same product
linux: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2026-74705udp: fix potential use-after-free in tunnel segmentation40Plan
- CVE-2026-74612veth: fix skb length accounting after XDP frag adjustment40Plan
- CVE-2026-74475vxlan: use neigh_ha_snapshot() in route_shortcircuit()40Plan
Published before and after this one in the same product
- ← EarlierCVE-2026-98372Oct 6, 2026 · xfrm: iptfs: fix stack OOB read in iptfs_skb_reset_frag_walk()0Monitor
- ← EarlierCVE-2026-98373Oct 7, 2026 · mm/hugetlb: preserve mremap address delta when skipping page tables0Monitor
- Later →CVE-2026-98375Oct 9, 2026 · xen/netfront: drop RX packets with a short Ethernet header0Monitor
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
| Product / package | Fixed version | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Linux Linux | 0f87720c7e4bcab07c24888b3cf12bfe857bb90e | Vendor (CNA) |
| Linux Linux | 631aa4cb45099f09e9385dd786bd291c6270bfc4 | Vendor (CNA) |
| Linux Linux | 71d45049b0d631dfdbf3c65305f7fca676de023b | Vendor (CNA) |
| Linux Linux | c5b4da1f403a658c1c19766be2b426003ada419f | Vendor (CNA) |
| Linux Linux | e3ea71cb1408a013ed4e8a757b815f1a919324bd | Vendor (CNA) |
| Linux Linux | fad6d429651e748365e93ca54645accc212f0018 | Vendor (CNA) |
| Linux Linux | fe99bbeee5c5dbd3abc30721a8079ced59649d97 | Vendor (CNA) |
| azl3 kernel 6.6.157.1-1 on Azure Linux 3.0 | 6.6.158.1-1 · Release Notes | Microsoft (MSRC) |
| debian:linux | 6.1.190-1 · Debian:12 | Package registry (OSV) |
| debian:linux | 6.12.113-1 · Debian:13 | Package registry (OSV) |
| debian:linux | 7.2.9-1 · Debian:14 | Package registry (OSV) |
| debian:linux-6.12 | 6.12.113-1~deb12u1 · Debian:12 | Package registry (OSV) |
Exploit status
No known public exploit
No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
- Published
- Fix recordedsame day
- TodayNov 4, 2026+28 d
FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
No commit or PR link among the references.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
No credits in the CNA record.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
No nightly-computed relations.
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
—
Bug bounty scope
No known public program.
Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
- No account or password is required.
- A user must open a link or visit a page.
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- high · data can be read
- Integrity
- high · data or configuration can be modified
- Availability
- high · the service can be disrupted
- Attack vector
- Network
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- High
- Integrity impact
- High
- Availability impact
- High
Weakness class (CWE)
—
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
nvd-secondary
Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
MITRE has no CAPEC/ATT&CK mapping for this CWE.
Change log
- CVSS— → 8.8
- Severity— → high
- Exploit maturity— → none
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
Show all references (6 more)Show less
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/631aa4cb45099f09e9385dd786bd291c6270bfc4
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/71d45049b0d631dfdbf3c65305f7fca676de023b
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/c5b4da1f403a658c1c19766be2b426003ada419f
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/e3ea71cb1408a013ed4e8a757b815f1a919324bd
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/fad6d429651e748365e93ca54645accc212f0018
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/fe99bbeee5c5dbd3abc30721a8079ced59649d97
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.