Race condition in Linux kernel FireWire split transaction handling
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Adjacent network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 5 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.
Summary
The Linux kernel is affected from 6.19 in its FireWire core. A race condition in split transaction handling lets the response handler and the timeout callback process the same transaction, which can cause a use-after-free on the initiator side. An adjacent attacker without privileges can trigger it.
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: firewire: core: fix race condition in split transaction handling For a split transaction, either fw_core_handle_response() or split_transaction_timeout_callback() may manipulate the same transaction entry in the pending transaction list. The return value of timer_delete() is used to determine which function handles the entry. If the transaction is a split transaction and timer_delete() returns zero, the timeout callback may already be running. In this case, the response handler must leave the entry in the list for the timeout callback to remove. A previous code refactoring broke this behavior, introducing a race condition in which both functions could process the same transaction. This could lead to a use-after-free on the transaction initiator side. Fix the regression by ensuring that the response handler does not process the transaction when timer_delete() returns zero. The timeout callback is responsible for removing the entry from the pending transaction list.
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 7.2.13 or 7.3. Red Hat lists no fix available for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6, 7 and 8 and for Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 and 5.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-06
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 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 6 | Affected | No fix yet |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | Affected | No fix yet |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | Affected | No fix yet |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 | Affected | No fix yet |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 5 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
Not affected: 3 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
- Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4
Timeline
- 2026-10-28 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-99185
- 2026-10-28 Alias added: GHSA-xxpr-vg8x-pr7q
- 2026-10-31 CVSS score added · CNA
- 2026-11-01 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-11-01 CVSS score added · Red Hat
References
More Linux vulnerabilities
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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-2026-99185 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-99185 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-xxpr-vg8x-pr7q · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-99185 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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