Critical severity · published Aug 15, 2026
CVE-2026-74268
tcp: clear sock_ops cb flags before force-closing a child socket
9.8
CVSS
0.7%
EPSS
No
On KEV
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
tcp: clear sock_ops cb flags before force-closing a child socket
A child socket inherits the listener's bpf_sock_ops_cb_flags via
sk_clone_lock(). If its setup fails in tcp_v4_syn_recv_sock() /
tcp_v6_syn_recv_sock(), the child is freed through put_and_exit, where
inet_csk_prepare_forced_close() drops the socket lock and tcp_done() runs
without it.
If BPF_SOCK_OPS_STATE_CB_FLAG was inherited, tcp_done() -> tcp_set_state()
calls tcp_call_bpf(), which expects the lock and trips sock_owned_by_me():
WARNING: include/net/sock.h:1799 at tcp_set_state+0x433/0x550
RIP: 0010:tcp_set_state+0x433/0x550 include/net/sock.h:1799
Call Trace:
<IRQ>
tcp_done+0xba/0x250 net/ipv4/tcp.c:5095
tcp_v4_syn_recv_sock+0x850/0xa50 net/ipv4/tcp_ipv4.c:1787
tcp_check_req+0xf30/0x1360 net/ipv4/tcp_minisocks.c:926
tcp_v4_rcv+0x1047/0x1b50 net/ipv4/tcp_ipv4.c:2164
</IRQ>
The child is freed before it is ever established, so it should run no
sock_ops callback. Clear its cb flags in inet_csk_prepare_for_destroy_sock(),
the common point for the IPv4, IPv6 and chtls forced-close paths and for the
MPTCP ->syn_recv_sock() failure path (dispose_child), which reaches tcp_done()
on a child that was never established too.
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High
Scope
Unchanged
Exploitation
Is it being used?
Exploit prediction (EPSS)0.7% · higher than 53% of CVEs
Exploited in the wildNo evidence yet
CISA KEVNot listed
Ransomware campaign useNot known
Affected products
Which versions
LI
Linux · Linux
d44874910a26f3a8f81edf873a2473363f07f660 before 5d5389b2c37ca00da61d1407618ebe15abae0c8b; d44874910a26f3a8f81edf873a2473363f07f660 before 9f30ba9aa0270a18fdd1e6cd426c480c35f7de9d; d44874910a26f3a8f81edf873a2473363f07f660 before 71e9c53220abd7f5a45aa4d5e5b420d3479f3a4f; d44874910a26f3a8f81edf873a2473363f07f660 before 9fffa6465851a1910a6e9cb7272787dd615b26b1; d44874910a26f3a8f81edf873a2473363f07f660 before fe23d56e9266d58ba5c380f1970118eedeee0b68; d44874910a26f3a8f81edf873a2473363f07f660 before ce311bd2e36596f0aa2c92ca86fb3e019ac57eae; +3 more · source: vendor
References
NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-74268
CVE.org
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-74268
git.kernel.org
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5d5389b2c37ca00da61d1407618ebe15abae0c8b
git.kernel.org
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/71e9c53220abd7f5a45aa4d5e5b420d3479f3a4f
git.kernel.org
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8874dafc9099bc49c2e5ebba030f85d276421f92
git.kernel.org
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/990348e5bb457697c2f1f7f7b65154a3334d9d2b
git.kernel.org
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9f30ba9aa0270a18fdd1e6cd426c480c35f7de9d
git.kernel.org
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9fffa6465851a1910a6e9cb7272787dd615b26b1
More from Linux
9.8
CVE-2025-39682
tls: fix handling of zero-length records on the rx_list
8.8
CVE-2026-53266
netfilter: bridge: make ebt_snat ARP rewrite writable
7.8
CVE-2026-53362
ipv6: account for fraggap on the paged allocation path
7.8
CVE-2026-31431
crypto: algif_aead - Revert to operating out-of-place
7.8
CVE-2025-38352
posix-cpu-timers: fix race between handle_posix_cpu_timers() and posix_cpu_timer_del()
