Vulnerability in Linux Kernel's TCP Socket Management by Vendor Linux Foundation

CVE-2026-80738

What is CVE-2026-80738?

A vulnerability exists in the Linux kernel related to the management of TCP sockets. Specifically, the functions bpf_tcp_gen_syncookie and bpf_tcp_check_syncookie inadequately validate the state of the socket before accessing the protocol information. If the socket is not a full socket (for example, during mini-socket conditions), the functions may attempt to dereference fullsocket-specific fields, leading to potential security implications. The resolution implemented checks that the socket state is not TCP_LISTEN, ensuring that only valid socket states are processed appropriately, thereby enhancing the overall security of TCP socket management.

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