TCP connection stall via misread GSO errors
Published May 6, 2026 · Updated May 6, 2026
Denial of service in the Linux Kernel network transmit path allows remote attackers to stall TCP connections after packet loss. In tcp_write_xmit, the kernel treats an error for the final segment of a GSO frame as proof that the entire frame was unsent, leaving snd_nxt behind data already received. The failure requires GSO traffic over a device without a Qdisc; subsequent ACKs are rejected as unsent data, and the affected connection remains stuck.
Summary
What happened
Denial of service in the Linux Kernel network transmit path allows remote attackers to stall TCP connections after packet loss. In tcp_write_xmit, the kernel treats an error for the final segment of a GSO frame as proof that the entire frame was unsent, leaving snd_nxt behind data already received. The failure requires GSO traffic over a device without a Qdisc; subsequent ACKs are rejected as unsent data, and the affected connection remains stuck.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-43194
- Published
- May 6, 2026
- Updated
- May 6, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux Kernel
- Classifications
- T1499
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- May 6, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- May 6, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
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- Affected versionversion=1f59533f9ca5634e7b8914252e48aee9d9cbe501 <0c9de092ef8c50a7ee9612811566f0aa81d8d7b6
- Affected versionversion=1f59533f9ca5634e7b8914252e48aee9d9cbe501 <4cb163e9efcac4cd35c3043e097f25081a5c015c
- Affected versionversion=1f59533f9ca5634e7b8914252e48aee9d9cbe501 <56bd32c0edca34041a5c215887fcf562fae2e2db
- Affected versionversion=1f59533f9ca5634e7b8914252e48aee9d9cbe501 <7aa767d0d3d04e50ae94e770db7db8197f666970
- Affected versionversion=1f59533f9ca5634e7b8914252e48aee9d9cbe501 <9ac6aebef4b4bfc5ed408b0b65645981574bc780
- Affected versionversion=1f59533f9ca5634e7b8914252e48aee9d9cbe501 <ae3f627b45fbc3c776a4e484696f3cad7cbb4eca
- Affected versionversion=1f59533f9ca5634e7b8914252e48aee9d9cbe501 <c86901d22c89a6bf4e2f013e948aaabc60869893
- Affected versionversion=1f59533f9ca5634e7b8914252e48aee9d9cbe501 <ea5d7787635e26ec1194ec7eec0e8e5ae3bd10a5
- Affected versionversion=3.18
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What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
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Technologies
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