KernelScan.io

HIGH Introduced in 6.7

tcp-ao CurrentKey UAF

CVE-2026-80849

CVSS 7.8 / 10.0 KernelScan AI

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

01

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/tcp-ao: fix use-after-free of current_key on reconnect to another peer tcp_inbound_ao_hash() is called before bh_lock_sock_nested() is taken, with only rcu_read_lock() held. On the fast path for established sockets, if the rnext_keyid sent by the peer differs from current_key->sndid, the key the peer asked for is looked up and stored in current_key. The lookup is inside the RCU read side, but current_key outlives it. When the socket is disconnected and connect() is called again for another peer, tcp_ao_connect_init() unlinks every key that does not match the new peer and frees it with call_rcu(). If current_key points at such a key, it is cleared to NULL. The fast path reads sk_state only once on entry, so a softirq that got into it while the socket was still established can update current_key after that loop has already run. The update is inside the RCU read side, so it comes before the call_rcu() callback, and once the callback frees the key, current_key is left pointing at freed memory. The next transmission picks that pointer up in tcp_get_current_key(). tcp_ao_transmit_skb() then reads the traffic key from the freed object, which is the use-after-free. Wait for one grace period before unlinking, and only if a key is going to be removed. By the time tcp_connect() runs the socket is already in TCP_SYN_SENT, and TCP_AO_ESTABLISHED does not contain TCPF_SYN_SENT, so a softirq entering after the wait cannot reach the fast path, and the ones already in it have finished. The existing NULL handling in the loop is then enough.

02

Engine v0.6.0

Risk summary

A local attacker can exploit a race condition in the TCP-AO authentication subsystem to trigger a use-after-free, potentially achieving arbitrary kernel read/write and escaping container isolation. The bug requires only an unprivileged local account with the ability to create TCP sockets. Systems running untrusted workloads, containers, or multi-tenant environments are at highest risk.

Affectednet/ipv4/tcp_ao.c (TCP-AO)

Vulnerability analysis

A race condition in the TCP Authentication Option (TCP-AO) subsystem allows a local attacker to trigger a use-after-free when a TCP-AO socket is disconnected and reconnected to a different peer. While inbound packets are being processed, the socket's current authentication key can be updated on one thread while another thread is tearing down and replacing the key set for a new peer. If the timing aligns, the key is freed while the pointer still references it, and the next transmission reads from the freed object. The fix waits for one grace period before removing any key that would be freed, ensuring all in-flight packet processing has completed before the key is unlinked. Any local user can trigger this by creating a TCP-AO socket and controlling the connect and disconnect sequence, including from inside a container.

03

BranchIntroducedFixed inPatch commit
7.26.77.2.32857dcbd03cf
6.186.76.18.4973fde8fe4469
6.126.76.12.10884a93b4e0125
mainline6.77.3-rc1da4471557f27
7.16.77.1.13e54ad693eddb
cip/6.126.76.12.108-cip3184a93b4e0125