Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
netfilter: conntrack: tcp: use UNACK timeout for non-closing RST packets
Commit be0502a3f2e9 ("netfilter: conntrack: tcp: only close if RST
matches exact sequence") keeps an established conntrack entry in
ESTABLISHED when an in-window RST does not match the expected sequence
number exactly, so the endpoint can validate the RST with a challenge
ACK.
The timeout selection nevertheless uses the CLOSE timeout for every RST
packet. The bug is that timeout selection is based on the packet type,
not on the state transition result: even when RST validation keeps
new_state in ESTABLISHED, the timeout is still forced to
TCP_CONNTRACK_CLOSE.
Linux TCP independently rate limits challenge ACKs per socket. A second
non-exact RST can therefore arrive after the first challenge ACK has
restored the timeout but before the rate limit expires. The second RST
lowers the timeout to 10 seconds again while the endpoint suppresses the
second challenge ACK, allowing the conntrack entry to expire while both
TCP endpoints remain established.
Using the ESTABLISHED timeout for such RSTs would avoid this short
expiration window, but it could also retain stale entries for the
five-day default because conntrack cannot reliably match the endpoint's
exact TCP state.
Use the UNACK timeout for RST packets that leave the conntrack entry in
TCP_CONNTRACK_ESTABLISHED. Exact-match RSTs and accepted RST packet
trains still fall through to timeouts[new_state], which preserves the
CLOSE timeout when conntrack accepts the RST as closing the flow.
This avoids the aggressive 10-second expiration window for non-exact
RSTs while preserving the short timeout for RSTs that conntrack accepts
as closing the flow.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | < 6.12.117, < 6.18.61 | 6.12.117 |
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
Debian
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 14 | linux | No fix yet | — |
| Debian 13 | linux | No fix yet | — |
| Debian 12 | linux | No fix yet | — |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu Nvidia-BlueField 24.04 LTS | linux-bluefield | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Nvidia-BlueField 22.04 LTS | linux-bluefield | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 26.10 | linux +8 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | linux +14 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux +52 | No fix yet | — |
Show 19 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux +59 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 20.04 LTS | linux-gke +28 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 18.04 LTS | linux-gcp +14 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 16.04 LTS | linux-hwe-edge | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro Realtime 24.04 LTS | linux-realtime +3 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro Realtime 22.04 LTS | linux-realtime +2 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS 20.04 LTS | linux-fips +3 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS 18.04 LTS | linux-fips +3 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS 16.04 LTS | linux-fips | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 24.04 LTS | linux-fips +3 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 22.04 LTS | linux-fips +3 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 20.04 LTS | linux-fips +3 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 18.04 LTS | linux-fips +3 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 16.04 LTS | linux-fips | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS-preview 22.04 LTS | linux-fips +3 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro 20.04 LTS | linux +21 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro 18.04 LTS | linux +12 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro 16.04 LTS | linux +7 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro 14.04 LTS | linux +3 | No fix yet | — |
Azure Linux
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Azure Linux 3 | kernel | No fix yet | — |
Advisories 1
- WID-SEC-2026-4414 Linux Kernel: Mehrere Schwachstellen BSI CERT-Bund (WID) · Nov 10, 2026