Critical severity · published Oct 18, 2026
CVE-2026-98549
tcp: prevent collapsing skbs across boundary in rtx queue
9.1
CVSS
0.4%
EPSS
No
On KEV
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
tcp: prevent collapsing skbs across boundary in rtx queue
tcp_write_collapse_fence() sets TCP_SKB_CB(skb)->eor = 1 on
tcp_write_queue_tail(sk) to prevent skbs queued after a switch to
device encryption from being collapsed into earlier skbs.
The fence is a no-op if all earlier data has already been transmitted
when the switch happens: sk->sk_write_queue is empty. The not yet
acknowledged earlier skbs wait in sk->tcp_rtx_queue with eor 0.
On a subsequent retransmit or SACK shift, tcp_retrans_try_collapse() or
tcp_shift_skb_data() can then merge an skb queued after the switch into
one queued before it.
Both users of the fence are affected:
- psp: devices only encrypt skbs with skb->decrypted set. The merged skb
keeps decrypted = 0 from the earlier skb, so merged data sent after
psp_sock_assoc_set_tx() is retransmitted in cleartext.
- tls device offload: the merged skb straddles the start marker set in
tls_set_device_offload(). The software fallback (fill_sg_in() returns
-EINVAL) and the mlx5, nfp and funeth drivers cannot handle such an
skb and drop it. Every retransmit rebuilds the same skb, so the
connection stalls.
Fix this in two places, for defense in depth:
1. Fall back to tcp_rtx_queue_tail(sk) in tcp_write_collapse_fence()
when tcp_write_queue_tail(sk) is NULL.
2. Check !skb_cmp_decrypted(to, from) in tcp_skb_can_collapse(), as
tcp_skb_can_collapse_rx() does on receive. skb_shift(), which both
collapse paths call, already has a DEBUG_NET_WARN_ON_ONCE() for this
condition.
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
High
Scope
Unchanged
Exploitation
Is it being used?
Exploit prediction (EPSS)0.4% · higher than 33% of CVEs
Exploited in the wildNo evidence yet
CISA KEVNot listed
Ransomware campaign useNot known
Affected products
Which versions
LI
Linux · Linux
e8f69799810c32dd40c6724d829eccc70baad07f before 9e2a2f98e8c0197108c6d97a1fa43bfd89071c30; e8f69799810c32dd40c6724d829eccc70baad07f before 1ae7aee395245874d797890380d9192bd858fb7e; e8f69799810c32dd40c6724d829eccc70baad07f before 7ba87509c54cd519e7ed362e0c85e8431f066a18; e8f69799810c32dd40c6724d829eccc70baad07f before 08e835f5ec6e261c79d8c39f8618b3af29e3b0da; e8f69799810c32dd40c6724d829eccc70baad07f before fc6d80eb504458d6416b75a94188b268c95c6533; 4.18 · source: vendor
References
NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98549
CVE.org
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-98549
git.kernel.org
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/08e835f5ec6e261c79d8c39f8618b3af29e3b0da
git.kernel.org
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1ae7aee395245874d797890380d9192bd858fb7e
git.kernel.org
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7ba87509c54cd519e7ed362e0c85e8431f066a18
git.kernel.org
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9e2a2f98e8c0197108c6d97a1fa43bfd89071c30
git.kernel.org
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fc6d80eb504458d6416b75a94188b268c95c6533
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