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CVE-2026-68117

tipc: clear sock->sk on the failed-insert path in tipc_sk_create()

9.8 EPSS 0.5% AV:N

Published 2026-08-10 (2 months ago) by the Linux kernel CNA. Subsystem net/tipc. Debian urgency: not yet assigned.

What to do, per Debian release

Debian's own status for CVE-2026-68117 in every release this site tracks, and what each one means in practice. Every status below is the one the Debian Security Team publishes for this CVE. source

ReleaseStatus VersionWhat this means
Debian 12bookwormfixedDLA-4777-1 · 2026-09-08 · text6.1.187-1Update the kernel and reboot. DLA-4777-1 shipped the fix on 2026-09-08, in 6.1.187-1. A running kernel keeps the old code until the machine restarts.
Debian 13trixiefixed6.12.101-1Update the kernel and reboot. Fixed in 6.12.101-1. A running kernel keeps the old code until the machine restarts.
Debian 14forkyfixed7.1.6-1Update the kernel and reboot. Fixed in 7.1.6-1. A running kernel keeps the old code until the machine restarts.
Debian unstablesidfixed7.1.6-1Update the kernel and reboot. Fixed in 7.1.6-1. A running kernel keeps the old code until the machine restarts.
Debian 12bookworm · linux-6.12fixedDLA-4745-1 · 2026-08-18 · text6.12.101-1~deb12u1Update the kernel and reboot. DLA-4745-1 shipped the fix on 2026-08-18, in 6.12.101-1~deb12u1. A running kernel keeps the old code until the machine restarts.

The vulnerability

What the bug is

When tipc_sk_create() fails to insert the new socket (tipc_sk_insert() returns non-zero), its error path frees the sk with sk_free() but leaves sock->sk pointing at the freed object: if (tipc_sk_insert(tsk)) { sk_free(sk); pr_warn("Socket create failed; port number exhausted\n"); return -EINVAL; } This is harmless for plain socket(): the syscall layer clears sock->ops before releasing, so tipc_release() is never called. It is not harmless on the accept() path. tipc_accept() creates the pre-allocated child socket with tipc_sk_create(net, new_sock, 0, kern); on failure it leaves new_sock->sk dangling and new_sock->ops non-NULL, and do_accept() then fput()s the new file, so __sock_release() -> tipc_release() runs lock_sock(new_sock->sk) on the freed sk -- a use-after-free write of the sk_lock spinlock. tipc_release() already guards this exact "failed accept() releases a pre-allocated child" case with "if (sk == NULL) return 0;", but the guard is bypassed because tipc_sk_create() left sock->sk non-NULL (dangling) rather than NULL. Clear sock->sk on the failed-insert path so the existing tipc_release() NULL check fires and the use-after-free is avoided. The tipc_sk_insert() failure is reached when the per-netns socket rhashtable hits its max_size (tsk_rht_params.max_size = 1048576, ~2M elements) -- i.e. once a netns holds ~2M TIPC sockets every insert returns -E2BIG. BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in lock_sock_nested (net/core/sock.c:3839) Write of size 8 at addr ffff8880047cdc38 by task init/1 lock_sock_nested (net/core/sock.c:3839) tipc_release (net/tipc/socket.c:638) __sock_release (net/socket.c:710) sock_close (net/socket.c:1501) __fput (fs/file_table.c:512) Allocated by task 1: sk_alloc (net/core/sock.c:2308) tipc_sk_create (net/tipc/socket.c:487) tipc_accept (net/tipc/socket.c:2744) do_accept (net/socket.c:2034) Freed by task 1: __sk_destruct (net/core/sock.c:2391) tipc_sk_create (net/tipc/socket.c:504) tipc_accept (net/tipc/socket.c:2744) do_accept (net/socket.c:2034)

Where it lives

The fix touches these files. If the subsystem is one you do not use, the practical exposure is lower, though the package is still the vulnerable one.

net/tipc/socket.c

What this is
TIPC NETWORK LAYERMAINTAINERS section matched on net/tipc/ · netdev@vger.kernel.org · Maintained
Kernel module
tipc

Check it on the machine

grep -w CONFIG_TIPC /boot/config-$(uname -r)

Reads the booted kernel's own configuration, on the machine and nowhere else. =y is built in, =m is a module, and an is not set line means the code is not there.

lsmod | grep -w tipc

Prints a line if that module is loaded right now, and nothing if it is not. One that is not loaded can still be loaded later by anything that needs it.

Show whether Debian builds this, per release

Debian builds this as a loadable module. Every release below compiles it as a module on every flavour, so whether the code is in the running kernel depends on whether that module is loaded.

  • bookworm, trixie, forky, sid, bookworm · linux-6.12m
m
a loadable module on every flavour - check lsmod, can be blacklisted
Build switch
CONFIG_TIPC

From the configuration Debian publishes for every kernel flavour it builds. It covers only the architectures Debian ships a linux-config package for, and nothing about a kernel you built yourself. Debian's own status above stays authoritative about the source package.MAINTAINERS kbuild Makefiles Debian linux-config packages

Signals

Published
2026-08-10 (2 months ago)source
CVSS
9.8 critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:Hsource recompute it
Attack vector
network (AV:N)source
EPSS
0.53%, higher than 43.2% of all CVEssource
CISA KEV
not listedthe KEV catalogue
Debian urgency
not yet assignedsource
Subsystem
net/tipc

Upstream fixes

The versions the CNA records as introducing and fixing this, and the commit for each. source

IntroducedFixed inCommit
5.10.1325.10.265efebc23e9b29
5.15.565.15.2168d6f26d48e61
5.196.1.18382f59aa27f33
5.196.6.148b07d87b31631
5.196.12.101dd29891ed840
5.196.18.425f5a41a48dbf
5.197.1.6f9596b156661
5.197.2ba0533fc163f
4.9.32400
4.14.28900
4.19.25300
5.4.20700
5.18.1300

Debian advisories

AdvisoryDateShipped toDebian
DLA-4777-12026-09-08bookworm 6.1.187-1tracker
DLA-4745-12026-08-18bookworm 6.12.101-1~deb12u1tracker

Why the CNA scored it this way

Quoted from the kernel CNA's own scoring file, word for word. A highlighted metric carries the most severe value CVSS v3.1 defines for it, which is what pushes the score up. source

AV:NAttack vector, network
The bug is hit in tipc_accept() when a listening SOCK_STREAM/SOCK_SEQPACKET socket accepts an incoming TIPC connection; peers reach this path over default UDP/Ethernet bearers (e.g. UDP/6118) without local syscall access.
AC:LAttack complexity, low
An attacker can deterministically fill the per-netns TIPC socket rhashtable (~2M entries) by opening many sockets or connections, then trigger the failed-insert accept() cleanup path that performs lock_sock() on the freed sk.
PR:NPrivileges required, none
No elevated Linux capabilities are required to create AF_TIPC stream/seqpacket sockets or send unauthenticated TIPC SYN traffic to a listening cluster service; only LSM policy may restrict access.
UI:NUser interaction, none
Exploitation needs no end-user action beyond a server’s normal accept() loop processing inbound TIPC connection requests queued by the network stack.
S:UScope, unchanged
The use-after-free corrupts kernel heap memory within the same kernel security domain; impact is kernel privilege escalation or crash, not a VM/hypervisor or IOMMU boundary crossing.
C:HConfidentiality impact, high
tipc_release() calls lock_sock() on a freed struct sock, a slab use-after-free that can be groomed for arbitrary kernel memory disclosure via controlled reuse of the freed socket object.
I:HIntegrity impact, high
The UAF performs an 8-byte write to sk_lock on freed memory during socket teardown, enabling heap corruption and potential arbitrary kernel write or code execution primitives.
A:HAvailability impact, high
KASAN reports slab-use-after-free in lock_sock_nested during tipc_release on the failed accept() path, causing kernel oops/panic and denial of service even without full exploitation.