Invalid memory access via premature option freeing
Published Oct 15, 2026 · Updated Oct 15, 2026
Use-after-free in Linux IPv4 TCP handling allows remote attackers to trigger invalid kernel memory access via retransmitted SYN packets. inet_sock_destruct() and tcp_v4_reqsk_destructor() free shared options before RCU readers finish, leaving ip_options_build() using freed memory during SYNACK construction. IPv4 options and concurrent socket destruction are required; request migration provides another affected path, but the published record establishes no crash, data disclosure, or code execution.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in Linux IPv4 TCP handling allows remote attackers to trigger invalid kernel memory access via retransmitted SYN packets. inet_sock_destruct() and tcp_v4_reqsk_destructor() free shared options before RCU readers finish, leaving ip_options_build() using freed memory during SYNACK construction. IPv4 options and concurrent socket destruction are required; request migration provides another affected path, but the published record establishes no crash, data disclosure, or code execution.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-98432
- Published
- Oct 15, 2026
- Updated
- Oct 15, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- Unavailable
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Oct 15, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Oct 15, 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?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=079096f103faca2dd87342cca6f23d4b34da8871 <11a03ce3c4a62d84c10ccdfe47f8075006498568
- Affected versionversion=079096f103faca2dd87342cca6f23d4b34da8871 <26d4c36d318cffbbd160884a0e4cec0da4da4936
- Affected versionversion=079096f103faca2dd87342cca6f23d4b34da8871 <a47406c769f72c070386985488f1c4d057df86b2
- Affected versionversion=079096f103faca2dd87342cca6f23d4b34da8871 <e3f33b0a1d89d738e2b913dab519226eaf76e15b
- Affected versionversion=4.4
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
No CVSS assessment is available in this record.
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Activity data is delayed. The latest report is Sep 28, 2026.
Weakness, pattern, technique
No sourced classifications are available.
Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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