tcp: fix TFO max_qlen accounting across reuseport migration
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- None · None · High
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 3 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: tcp: fix TFO max_qlen accounting across reuseport migration A listener's TCP_FASTOPEN max_qlen stops being accurate and lets through far more pending Fast Open requests than it was configured for. This only shows up with SO_REUSEPORT listener migration, where closing a listener hands its still-pending TFO children over to a surviving one. fastopenq.qlen is charged in tcp_fastopen_create_child() when the child is created and uncharged in reqsk_fastopen_remove() when the handshake completes. The uncharge follows rsk_listener of the request the child points at, and inet_reqsk_clone() has repointed the child at a new request owned by the new listener, so the ++ and the -- land on two different sockets. The new listener's qlen drifts negative and its limit no longer binds. Charge the new listener during migration, like reqsk_queue_migrated() already does for queue->young and queue->qlen.
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
Remediation
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.15.216, 6.1.183, 6.6.152, 6.12.104, 6.18.45, 7.1.9, 7.2
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 | Affected | No fix planned: Out of support scope |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
Not affected: 2 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-74696
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-vp9r-6w4f-8wmq
- 2026-10-18 CISA SSVC decision points changed
- 2026-11-03 CVSS score changed · Red Hat
References
Other 7
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e98f0d80b9cccb5f828425d2004f9686e7d1ae24
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b6247e0f96bd825ffb2005257f6177b5e642dee6
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/585fc5247d14939a561056aa2addd9b7c2b1f670
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6e10ee56524a26b250229ad348637825646ddb88
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a66e869cf0c90c1e47ae75f72b6482acbfc808ff
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d974618b2097453778389d385e3741629c40e0a3
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a0ab2ba83e35159d81cec830a92e885ecf8139be
More Linux vulnerabilities
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- TI-2021-02452 Incorrect authorization in Ubuntu linux kernel KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
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- TI-2022-00125 Integer overflow in kernel KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
- TI-2013-01864 The perf_swevent_init function in kernel/events/core.c in the Linux kernel before 3.8.9… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
Sources
- CVE-2026-74696 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-74696 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-vp9r-6w4f-8wmq · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-74696 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences