HIGH
smc ListenOut Race
CVE-2026-74692
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
KernelScan AI5.8MEDIUM
01Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/smc: fix TOCTOU race between smc_listen_out() and listener close smc_listen_out() reads lsmc->sk.sk_state without the listener lock, then acquires lock_sock_nested() only after the check passes. This opens a window where smc_close_active() can transition the listener to SMC_CLOSED, call smc_close_cleanup_listen() to drain the accept queue, and release the lock, all between the lockless read and the delayed lock acquisition: smc_listen_work (smc_hs_wq) smc_close_active() ------------------------------- ------------------------- release_sock(child) if (sk_state == SMC_LISTEN) TRUE lock_sock(listener) sk_state = SMC_CLOSED smc_close_cleanup_listen() release_sock(listener) flush_work(tcp_listen_work) lock_sock_nested(listener) smc_accept_enqueue(listener, child) /* child enqueued on dead listener */ smc_close_active() flushes only tcp_listen_work. Work items already dispatched onto smc_hs_wq for the CLC handshake continue running unguarded. smc_accept_enqueue() takes a sock_hold() on the child that is never released, so the child smc_sock, its clcsock, and the reference all leak. A remote peer that opens TCP connections while the server calls close() can exhaust kernel memory. Move lock_sock_nested() to before the sk_state check so that the test and the enqueue are atomic under the listener lock.
02KernelScan AI Analysis
Risk summary
A remote, unauthenticated attacker can exploit a race condition in the SMC protocol's listener path to leak kernel memory. By repeatedly opening TCP connections while the server closes its SMC listener, the attacker can exhaust kernel memory and cause denial of service. Any system running an SMC server exposed to a network is at risk.
Vulnerability analysis
When an incoming SMC connection finishes its handshake, the listener socket's state is checked without holding the listener lock. If the server closes the listener in the window between that lockless check and the subsequent lock acquisition, the new child socket is enqueued onto a listener that has already been drained and marked closed. The reference count taken on the child during enqueue is never released, leaking the child socket and its associated resources. A remote peer can trigger this repeatedly by opening TCP connections while the server calls close(), eventually exhausting kernel memory. The fix moves the lock acquisition to before the state check so that the test and the enqueue are atomic under the listener lock, preventing the child from being added to a dead listener. The vulnerable path is reachable by any remote peer that can open TCP connections to an SMC server; no privileges are required.
Lifecycle
03Fix Versions
| Branch | Introduced | Fixed in | Patch commit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.6 | — | 6.6.152 | 00f894337772 |
| 6.1 | — | 6.1.183 | 01865e1ddb12 |
| 4.19 | 4.19.299 | 4.20 | 53c7938d8bcf |
| 5.15 | — | 5.15.216 | feb71634bb1a |
| 6.12 | — | 6.12.104 | 78e5ebcd1c10 |
| 6.18 | — | 6.18.45 | ff5bcd804b5b |
| 7.1 | — | 7.1.9 | 185a4caeecab |
| mainline | — | 7.2 | — |
| cip/6.1 | — | 6.1.187-cip60 | feb71634bb1a |
| cip/6.12 | — | 6.12.104-cip30 | 00f894337772 |