Race in Linux kernel sock_gettstamp() corrupts socket flags
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 7 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.
Summary
The Linux kernel from 2.6.12 is affected. The sock_gettstamp() function changes socket flags without holding the socket lock, so a concurrent bind() can lose an update to the same flags word. A local user with low privileges can trigger this race and cause a use-after-free of a UDP socket, with high impact on confidentiality, integrity and availability.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-10-30
Description from the CNA
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: lock the socket in sock_gettstamp() sk->sk_flags must only be changed while holding the socket lock, because sock_set_flag() and sock_reset_flag() use non atomic operations (__set_bit() and __clear_bit()). sock_gettstamp() is one of the last places where a bit of sk->sk_flags is changed from a syscall without owning the socket lock, through sock_enable_timestamp(sk, SOCK_TIMESTAMP). sk_set_memalloc() and sk_clear_memalloc() also change sk->sk_flags without the socket lock, but their callers (nbd, iscsi_tcp, nvme-tcp, sunrpc, wireguard) need a careful audit, this will be addressed in a separate patch. Jungwoo Lee and Wongi Lee reported an UDP socket use-after-free caused by this bug: a SIOCGSTAMPNS_NEW ioctl racing with bind() can cancel the SOCK_RCU_FREE bit that udp_lib_get_port() just set, because both threads perform a read-modify-write on the same word. CPU 0 (bind) CPU 1 (SIOCGSTAMPNS_NEW) -------------------------------- ---------------------------- read sk_flags = F read sk_flags = F compute F | BIT(SOCK_RCU_FREE) compute F | BIT(SOCK_TIMESTAMP) store F | BIT(SOCK_RCU_FREE) sk_add_node_rcu(sk, ...) store F | BIT(SOCK_TIMESTAMP) After the lost update, SOCK_RCU_FREE is clear while the socket is visible to lockless UDP receive lookups. sk_destruct() then frees the socket immediately instead of waiting for a RCU grace period, while the receive path still holds a reference-less pointer to it: BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in ipv4_pktinfo_prepare+0x30/0x410 Read of size 8 at addr ffff888008806610 by task exploit/207 CPU: 0 UID: 1000 PID: 207 Comm: exploit Not tainted 6.12.95+ #1 ipv4_pktinfo_prepare+0x30/0x410 udp_queue_rcv_one_skb+0x51c/0x1180 udp_unicast_rcv_skb+0x109/0x350 ip_protocol_deliver_rcu+0x14b/0x310 ip_local_deliver_finish+0x29d/0x390 ip_local_deliver+0x24d/0x2a0 Only grab the socket lock when SOCK_TIMESTAMP has to be set, to keep the common case lockless.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 2.6.12 and later | 5.10.271, 5.15.222, 6.1.189, 6.6.158, 6.12.112, 6.18.54, 7.2.8, 7.3 | Patch available | CNA |
- Linux VendorLinux Affected 2.6.12 and later Fixed in 5.10.271, 5.15.222, 6.1.189, 6.6.158, 6.12.112, 6.18.54, 7.2.8, 7.3 Patch available CNA
Remediation
Fixed versions are 5.10.271, 5.15.222, 6.1.189, 6.6.158, 6.12.112, 6.18.54, 7.2.8 and 7.3 of the Linux kernel. The sources list no fixed version for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7, 8, 9 and 10 and OpenShift Container Platform 4 and 5, and no fix planned for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-10-30
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.10.271, 5.15.222, 6.1.189, 6.6.158, 6.12.112, 6.18.54, 7.2.8, 7.3
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 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 | Affected | No fix planned: Out of support scope |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | Affected | No fix yet |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | Affected | No fix yet |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | Affected | No fix yet |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 | Affected | No fix yet |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 5 | Affected | No fix yet |
Timeline
- 2026-10-06 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-98276
- 2026-10-06 Alias added: GHSA-qgp7-2j87-wmwc
- 2026-10-07 CVSS score added · CNA
- 2026-10-11 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-11 CVSS score added · Red Hat
- 2026-10-19 Fix available: Linux/[email protected] · CNA
- 2026-10-30 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
References
Other 8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/18899e2e4023369a8f7739c2255a59a9748d8d17
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/88c804847dd87dc613b771b392ccecdb94725032
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3b12d3967e96f1b7b977d9fc352ae29a1b299a82
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/17b2a1eb97fdb2a2cbaeab3b146b26797ea9311f
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1f73253add8365d0dad0a4f421acaa8c21d20cef
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d9f96bc2d822501f84d1caa6275a2c6b316ca2c4
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/899650bbf985b7bfd2a7b808357df9b16e6d6959
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9ed55f3dbef4f4adfe65eb03b0c35c53229a8490
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Sources
- CVE-2026-98276 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-98276 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-qgp7-2j87-wmwc · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-98276 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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