Bug 2502333 (CVE-2026-64024)

Summary: CVE-2026-64024 kernel: tcp: fix stale per-CPU tcp_tw_isn leak enabling ISN prediction
Product: [Other] Security Response Reporter: OSIDB Bzimport <bzimport>
Component: vulnerabilityAssignee: Product Security <prodsec-ir-bot>
Status: NEW --- QA Contact:
Severity: medium Docs Contact:
Priority: medium    
Version: unspecifiedCC: rhel-process-autobot, watson-tool-maintainers
Target Milestone: ---Keywords: Security
Target Release: ---   
Hardware: All   
OS: Linux   
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Doc Text:
A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) networking stack. This vulnerability arises from a stale per-CPU variable that can retain a previously used Initial Sequence Number (ISN) when certain packets are dropped. A remote attacker could exploit this by sending specially crafted packets, leading to the prediction of subsequent ISNs. Successful exploitation of predictable ISNs can enable TCP connection hijacking, allowing an attacker to take control of existing network connections.
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oVirt Team: --- RHEL 7.3 requirements from Atomic Host:
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Description OSIDB Bzimport 2026-07-19 16:02:27 UTC
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

tcp: fix stale per-CPU tcp_tw_isn leak enabling ISN prediction

Blamed commit moved the TIME_WAIT-derived ISN from the skb control
block to a per-CPU variable, assuming the value would always be consumed
by tcp_conn_request() for the same packet that wrote it. That assumption
is violated by multiple drop paths between the producer
(__this_cpu_write(tcp_tw_isn, isn) in tcp_v{4,6}_rcv()) and the consumer
(tcp_conn_request()):

 - min_ttl / min_hopcount check
 - xfrm policy check
 - tcp_inbound_hash() MD5/AO mismatch
 - tcp_filter() eBPF/SO_ATTACH_FILTER drop
 - th->syn && th->fin discard in tcp_rcv_state_process() TCP_LISTEN
 - psp_sk_rx_policy_check() in tcp_v{4,6}_do_rcv()
 - tcp_checksum_complete() in tcp_v{4,6}_do_rcv()
 - tcp_v{4,6}_cookie_check() returning NULL

When a packet is dropped on any of these paths, tcp_tw_isn is left set.

The next SYN processed on the same CPU then consumes the non zero value in
tcp_conn_request(), receiving a potentially predictable ISN.

This patch moves back tcp_tw_isn to skb->cb[], getting rid of the per-cpu
variable.

Note that tcp_v{4,6}_fill_cb() do not set it.

Very litle impact on overall code size/complexity:

$ scripts/bloat-o-meter -t vmlinux.old vmlinux.new
add/remove: 0/0 grow/shrink: 2/1 up/down: 8/-15 (-7)
Function                                     old     new   delta
tcp_v6_rcv                                  3038    3042      +4
tcp_v4_rcv                                  3035    3039      +4
tcp_conn_request                            2938    2923     -15
Total: Before=24436060, After=24436053, chg -0.00%