Severity by source
AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Local vector confirmed; PR:L reflects CAP_BPF/CAP_NET_ADMIN requirement; AC:L because race reproduces in seconds per description.
Primary rating from Vendor (Linux).
CVSS VectorVendor: Linux
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Lifecycle Timeline
5DescriptionCVE.org
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
bpf: tcp: Fix use-after-free in bpf_iter_tcp_established_batch()
reqsk_queue_hash_req() publishes a TCP_NEW_SYN_RECV request_sock onto the ehash chain, drops the bucket lock, and only afterwards sets rsk_refcnt to 3.
Lockless readers such as __inet_lookup_established() handle this with refcount_inc_not_zero(), but bpf_iter_tcp_established_batch() uses plain sock_hold() while holding the bucket lock, on the assumption that the lock guarantees sk_refcnt > 0. That assumption does not hold for request_sock:
CPU 0 CPU 1 ----- ----- tcp_conn_request() reqsk_queue_hash_req() inet_ehash_insert(req) spin_lock(bucket) __sk_nulls_add_node_rcu(req) // rsk_refcnt == 0 spin_unlock(bucket) bpf_iter_tcp_established_batch() spin_lock(bucket) sock_hold(req) <-- addition on 0 spin_unlock(bucket) refcount_set(&req->rsk_refcnt, 3) // clobbers saturated value
which surfaces as:
refcount_t: addition on 0; use-after-free. WARNING: lib/refcount.c:25 at refcount_warn_saturate+0x48/0x90, CPU#1 Call Trace: bpf_iter_tcp_established_batch+0x14e/0x170 bpf_iter_tcp_batch+0x53/0x200 bpf_iter_tcp_seq_next+0x27/0x70 bpf_seq_read+0x107/0x410 vfs_read+0xb9/0x380
The iterator's stolen reference is lost when the publishing CPU's refcount_set() overwrites the count, leaving the socket one reference short. When the last legitimate owner drops its reference the reqsk is freed while still reachable, leading to use-after-free.
This reproduces in seconds with tcp_syncookies=0, a handful of threads doing connect()/close() to a local listener while others read an iter/tcp link in a tight loop.
Use refcount_inc_not_zero() and skip the socket on failure. A skipped socket is still part of the bucket, so keep counting it in expected. The reallocations are sized from expected, and a request sock whose refcount gets published while the lock is held across the last realloc must already have room.
A skipped socket is counted in expected but never batched, so end_sk can be short of expected on a batch that is actually complete. Decide completeness by whether the walk left any socket behind instead. The WARN after the locked realloc checks the same, replacing an end_sk == expected check that could not hold on that path since commit cdec67a489d4 ("bpf: tcp: Make sure iter->batch always contains a full bucket snapshot").
If every matching socket in a bucket is mid-init (refcount 0), end_sk stays 0. Advance to the next bucket rather than returning a batch entry that was never filled this round.
AnalysisAI
Use-after-free in the Linux kernel's BPF TCP iterator exposes systems running kernel versions from 5.15 onward to local privilege escalation with high impact across confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The race condition in bpf_iter_tcp_established_batch() allows a low-privileged local attacker to hold a reference to a request_sock whose refcount is still zero, corrupting kernel memory when the publishing CPU's refcount_set() subsequently overwrites the saturated value. …
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Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata
Vulnerability AssessmentAI
| Exploitation | Exploitation requires a local account with sufficient privileges to open a BPF TCP iterator (typically CAP_BPF or CAP_NET_ADMIN, or an unprivileged BPF-enabled kernel configuration). … Additional conditions and limiting factors are described in the full assessment. |
| Risk Assessment | The provided CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H, score 7.8) accurately reflects a locally exploitable kernel use-after-free with high impact, and the AC:L rating is supported by the CVE description noting the race reproduces within seconds under controlled conditions. … Full risk analysis with EPSS, KEV, and SSVC signal comparison available after sign-in. |
| Exploit Scenario | Full exploit scenario with step-by-step reproduction available after sign-in. |
| Remediation | The primary fix is upgrading to a patched kernel version: 6.1.183, 6.6.152, 6.12.104, 7.1.9, 7.1.9, 7.2, or 6.18.45 depending on the stable series in use. … Detailed patch versions, workarounds, and compensating controls in full report. |
Recommended ActionAI
Within 24 hours, identify all systems running Linux kernel versions 5.15 and later in your environment and document the exposure. …
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External POC / Exploit Code
Leaving vuln.today
EUVD-2026-64401
GHSA-cqmm-fv72-p7f7