Bug 2502438 (CVE-2026-63913) - CVE-2026-63913 kernel: netfilter: conntrack: tcp: do not force CLOSE on invalid-seq RST without direction check
Summary: CVE-2026-63913 kernel: netfilter: conntrack: tcp: do not force CLOSE on inval...
Keywords:
Status: NEW
Alias: CVE-2026-63913
Product: Security Response
Classification: Other
Component: vulnerability
Version: unspecified
Hardware: All
OS: Linux
medium
medium
Target Milestone: ---
Assignee: Product Security DevOps Team
QA Contact:
URL:
Whiteboard:
Depends On:
Blocks:
TreeView+ depends on / blocked
 
Reported: 2026-07-19 16:08 UTC by OSIDB Bzimport
Modified: 2026-07-21 15:59 UTC (History)
2 users (show)

Fixed In Version:
Clone Of:
Environment:
Last Closed:
Embargoed:


Attachments (Terms of Use)

Description OSIDB Bzimport 2026-07-19 16:08:08 UTC
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

netfilter: conntrack: tcp: do not force CLOSE on invalid-seq RST without direction check

An unintended behavior in the TCP conntrack state machine allows a
connection to be forced into the CLOSE state using an RST packet with an
invalid sequence number.

Specifically, after a SYN packet is observed, an RST with an invalid SEQ
can transition the conntrack entry to TCP_CONNTRACK_CLOSE, regardless of
whether the RST corresponds to the expected reply direction. The relevant
code path assumes the RST is a response to an outgoing SYN, but does not
validate packet direction or ensure that a matching SYN was actually sent
in the opposite direction.

As a result, a crafted packet sequence consisting of a SYN followed by an
invalid-sequence RST can prematurely terminate an active NAT entry. This
makes connection teardown easier than intended.

So, tighten the state transition logic to ensure that RST-triggered
CLOSE transitions only occur when the RST is a valid response to a
previously observed SYN in the correct direction.

Comment 1 Mauro Matteo Cascella 2026-07-21 15:57:54 UTC
Upstream advisory:
https://lore.kernel.org/linux-cve-announce/2026071946-CVE-2026-63913-9646@gregkh/T


Note You need to log in before you can comment on or make changes to this bug.