Missing source check for connected sockets in Linux vsock/vmci
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- Low · None · High
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 6 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.
Summary
The Linux kernel from 3.9 is affected in its vsock/vmci transport. A packet lookup falls back to matching only the destination, so a connected socket can accept packets that did not come from its stored peer. A local attacker with low privileges can send a reset packet from another source to reset such a socket, with high availability impact.
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: vsock/vmci: validate packet source for connected sockets vmci_transport_recv_stream_cb() looks up sockets first by the full source and destination tuple, then by destination only in the bound table. The fallback can select a non-listening socket without checking whether the packet came from its stored peer. This was reproduced with two VMCI contexts. A RST from the context not stored in a TCP_SYN_SENT socket reset that socket after it was selected by the destination-only lookup. VMCI can process notification packets in bottom-half context when the socket is not owned by user context, or defer packets to a workqueue. Use vsock_check_source() after taking the socket lock in the bottom-half path, and recheck after lock_sock() in the workqueue path. Listening sockets continue to accept packets from any source. Reply with a RST addressed from the received packet before dropping a source that fails validation. This preserves the existing reset behavior for bound non-listening and concurrently closed sockets without directing the reset to a connected socket's stored peer.
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 6.18.59, 7.2.13 or 7.3, or a later release in the same branch. Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7, 8, 9 and 10 and Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 and 5 are affected with no fix plan available.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-06
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 6.18.59, 7.2.13, 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: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 5 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
Not affected: 1 product
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
Timeline
- 2026-10-28 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-99122
- 2026-10-28 Alias added: GHSA-99x3-rpwc-xh78
- 2026-10-29 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-29 CVSS score added · Red Hat
- 2026-10-31 CVSS score added · CNA
- 2026-10-31 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
References
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-2026-99122 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-99122 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-99x3-rpwc-xh78 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-99122 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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