Bug 2513397 (CVE-2026-68117)

Summary: CVE-2026-68117 kernel: tipc: clear sock->sk on the failed-insert path in tipc_sk_create()
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: akhatavk, aos-team-art-private, asdas, dpaolell, jdelft, jupierce, lgarciaa, mbiarnes, ppalepu, ppostler, prdhamdh, rhel-process-autobot, sghai, sidsharm, suppawar, vlaad, watson-tool-maintainers
Target Milestone: ---Keywords: Security
Target Release: ---   
Hardware: All   
OS: Linux   
Whiteboard:
Fixed In Version: Doc Type: ---
Doc Text:
A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's TIPC (Transparent Inter-Process Communication) protocol. A local attacker could exploit this vulnerability by repeatedly creating and failing to insert new sockets, causing the `tipc_sk_create()` function to leave a dangling pointer to a freed socket object. This use-after-free condition can lead to a system crash, resulting in a denial of service, or potentially allow for arbitrary code execution.
Story Points: ---
Clone Of: Environment:
Last Closed: Type: ---
Regression: --- Mount Type: ---
Documentation: --- CRM:
Verified Versions: Category: ---
oVirt Team: --- RHEL 7.3 requirements from Atomic Host:
Cloudforms Team: --- Target Upstream Version:
Embargoed:

Description OSIDB Bzimport 2026-08-10 12:35:05 UTC
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

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

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)

Comment 1 Mauro Matteo Cascella 2026-08-11 18:54:20 UTC
Upstream advisory:
https://lore.kernel.org/linux-cve-announce/2026081055-CVE-2026-68117-dd27@gregkh/T