TCP: remotely exploitable DoS vector (mbuf leak)
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Denial of service
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- None · None · High
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CISA ADP. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-401.
Summary
When a challenge ACK is to be sent tcp_respond() constructs and sends the challenge ACK and consumes the mbuf that is passed in. When no challenge ACK should be sent the function returns and leaks the mbuf. If an attacker is either on path with an established TCP connection, or can themselves establish a TCP connection, to an affected FreeBSD machine, they can easily craft and send packets which meet the challenge ACK criteria and cause the FreeBSD host to leak an mbuf for each crafted packet in excess of the configured rate limit settings i.e. with default settings, crafted packets in excess of the first 5 sent within a 1s period will leak an mbuf. Technically, off-path attackers can also exploit this problem by guessing the IP addresses, TCP port numbers and in some cases the sequence numbers of established connections and spoofing packets towards a FreeBSD machine, but this is harder to do effectively.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- Yes
- Technical impact
- Partial
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FreeBSD | FreeBSD | 15.0-RELEASE to before p5; 14.4-RELEASE to before p1; 14.3-RELEASE to before p10 | p5, p1, p10 | Patch available | CNA |
- FreeBSD VendorFreeBSD Affected 15.0-RELEASE to before p5; 14.4-RELEASE to before p1; 14.3-RELEASE to before p10 Fixed in p5, p1, p10 Patch available CNA
CPE configurations NVD · 17
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.3:-:*:*:*:*:*:* | 14.3 | Vulnerable | FreeBSD |
| cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.3:p1:*:*:*:*:*:* | 14.3 p1 | Vulnerable | FreeBSD |
| cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.3:p2:*:*:*:*:*:* | 14.3 p2 | Vulnerable | FreeBSD |
| cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.3:p3:*:*:*:*:*:* | 14.3 p3 | Vulnerable | FreeBSD |
| cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.3:p4:*:*:*:*:*:* | 14.3 p4 | Vulnerable | FreeBSD |
| cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.3:p5:*:*:*:*:*:* | 14.3 p5 | Vulnerable | FreeBSD |
| cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.3:p6:*:*:*:*:*:* | 14.3 p6 | Vulnerable | FreeBSD |
| cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.3:p7:*:*:*:*:*:* | 14.3 p7 | Vulnerable | FreeBSD |
| cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.3:p8:*:*:*:*:*:* | 14.3 p8 | Vulnerable | FreeBSD |
| cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.3:p9:*:*:*:*:*:* | 14.3 p9 | Vulnerable | FreeBSD |
- cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.3:-:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 14.3 Vulnerable ·FreeBSD
- cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.3:p1:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 14.3 p1 Vulnerable ·FreeBSD
- cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.3:p2:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 14.3 p2 Vulnerable ·FreeBSD
- cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.3:p3:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 14.3 p3 Vulnerable ·FreeBSD
- cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.3:p4:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 14.3 p4 Vulnerable ·FreeBSD
- cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.3:p5:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 14.3 p5 Vulnerable ·FreeBSD
- cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.3:p6:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 14.3 p6 Vulnerable ·FreeBSD
- cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.3:p7:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 14.3 p7 Vulnerable ·FreeBSD
- cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.3:p8:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 14.3 p8 Vulnerable ·FreeBSD
- cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.3:p9:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 14.3 p9 Vulnerable ·FreeBSD
Show 7 more CPE
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.4:-:*:*:*:*:*:* | 14.4 | Vulnerable | FreeBSD |
| cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.4:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:* | 14.4 rc1 | Vulnerable | FreeBSD |
| cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:15.0:-:*:*:*:*:*:* | 15.0 | Vulnerable | FreeBSD |
| cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:15.0:p1:*:*:*:*:*:* | 15.0 p1 | Vulnerable | FreeBSD |
| cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:15.0:p2:*:*:*:*:*:* | 15.0 p2 | Vulnerable | FreeBSD |
| cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:15.0:p3:*:*:*:*:*:* | 15.0 p3 | Vulnerable | FreeBSD |
| cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:15.0:p4:*:*:*:*:*:* | 15.0 p4 | Vulnerable | FreeBSD |
- cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.4:-:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 14.4 Vulnerable ·FreeBSD
- cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:14.4:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 14.4 rc1 Vulnerable ·FreeBSD
- cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:15.0:-:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 15.0 Vulnerable ·FreeBSD
- cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:15.0:p1:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 15.0 p1 Vulnerable ·FreeBSD
- cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:15.0:p2:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 15.0 p2 Vulnerable ·FreeBSD
- cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:15.0:p3:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 15.0 p3 Vulnerable ·FreeBSD
- cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:15.0:p4:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 15.0 p4 Vulnerable ·FreeBSD
Remediation
- Fix · CNA FreeBSD (FreeBSD) Fixed in p5, p1, p10
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-4247
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-374j-38xh-4wr2
References
More Freebsd vulnerabilities
- TI-2011-04182 Buffer overflow in libtelnet/encrypt.c in telnetd in FreeBSD 7.3 through 9.0, MIT… CVSS 2.0HIGH 10.0
- TI-2007-03684 Integer overflow in print-bgp.c in the BGP dissector in tcpdump 3.9.6 and earlier allows… CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2002-00376 Integer overflow in xdr_array function in RPC servers for operating systems that use… CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2024-05929 Openssh: regresshion - race condition in ssh allows rce/dos CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.1
- TI-2003-00437 Off-by-one error in the fb_realpath() function, as derived from the realpath function in… CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2003-00642 The prescan function in Sendmail 8.12.9 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code… CVSS 2.0HIGH 10.0
Sources
- CVE-2026-4247 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-4247 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-374j-38xh-4wr2 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences