Filter bypass in Linux kernel io_uring CONNECT for IPv6
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · None
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA.
Summary
The Linux kernel from 7.2 is affected. The io_uring CONNECT path fills BPF filter fields only for 28-byte sockaddr_in6 structures, so a 24-byte IPv6 address reaches the filter with zero port and address. A local user with low privileges can bypass connect filters that deny IPv6 ports or addresses, because the kernel still connects to the real destination.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-06
Description from the CNA
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: io_uring/net: populate CONNECT filter fields for 24-byte sockaddr_in6 io_connect_bpf_populate() fills connect.port and connect.v6_addr for AF_INET6 only when addr_len >= sizeof(struct sockaddr_in6), i.e. 28 bytes. The IPv6 connect paths accept SIN6_LEN_RFC2133 (24 bytes), which already holds sin6_port and sin6_addr. io_connect() passes addr_len to the socket layer unchanged. At addr_len 24 the filter sees family AF_INET6 with port and address zero, while the kernel connects to the real destination. A filter that denies an IPv6 port or address is bypassed. Denying connect.port == P rejects [::1]:P with -EACCES at addr_len 28 but connects at addr_len 24. Use SIN6_LEN_RFC2133 as the threshold. sin6_scope_id stays zero when absent. The threshold mismatch was found by an AI coding assistant (Claude Code) comparing this hook against the net/ipv6 length checks on my instructions; it also drafted the reproducer and this patch. I verified the bypass and the fix in a VM on 7.3-rc6 and that 7.2 has the same code.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
Remediation
Upgrade the Linux kernel to 7.2.11 or 7.3, which contain the fix.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-06
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 7.2.11, 7.3
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
Not affected: 6 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
- Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4
Timeline
- 2026-10-23 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-99042
- 2026-10-23 Alias added: GHSA-cg89-27g3-43v4
- 2026-10-24 CVSS score added · CNA
- 2026-10-24 Priority changed: LOW → MEDIUM
- 2026-10-24 Priority changed: MEDIUM → LOW
- 2026-10-29 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-29 CVSS score added · Red Hat
References
More Linux vulnerabilities
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- TI-2026-38352 netfilter: bridge: make ebt_snat ARP rewrite writable KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2021-02452 Incorrect authorization in Ubuntu linux kernel KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2013-05264 The (1) get_user and (2) put_user API functions in the Linux kernel before 3.5.5 on the… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- 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-2026-99042 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-99042 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-cg89-27g3-43v4 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-99042 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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