CVE-2026-23450: net/smc: fix NULL dereference and UAF in smc_tcp_syn_recv_sock()

Published Apr 3, 2026
·
Updated

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

net/smc: fix NULL dereference and UAF in smctcpsynrecvsock()

Syzkaller reported a panic in smctcpsynrecvsock() [1].

smctcpsynrecvsock() is called in the TCP receive path (softirq) via icskafops->synrecvsock on the clcsock (TCP listening socket). It reads skuserdata to get the smcsock pointer. However, when the SMC listen socket is being closed concurrently, smccloseactive() sets clcsock->skuserdata to NULL under skcallbacklock, and then the smcsock itself can be freed via sockput() in smcrelease().

This leads to two issues:

1) NULL pointer dereference: skuserdata is NULL when accessed. 2) Use-after-free: skuserdata is read as non-NULL, but the smcsock is freed before its fields (e.g., queuedsmchs, oriafops) are accessed.

The race window looks like this (the syzkaller crash [1] triggers via the SYN cookie path: tcpgetcookiesock() -> smctcpsynrecvsock(), but the normal tcpcheckreq() path has the same race):

CPU A (softirq) CPU B (process ctx)

tcpv4rcv() TCPNEWSYNRECV: sk = req->rsklistener sockhold(sk) / No lock on listener / smccloseactive(): writelockbh(cblock) skuserdata = NULL writeunlockbh(cblock) ... smcclcsockrelease() sockput(smc->sk) x2 -> smcsock freed! tcpcheckreq() smctcpsynrecvsock(): smc = userdata(sk) -> NULL or dangling smc->queuedsmchs -> crash!

Note that the clcsock and smcsock are two independent objects with separate refcounts. TCP stack holds a reference on the clcsock, which keeps it alive, but this does NOT prevent the smcsock from being freed.

Fix this by using RCU and refcountincnotzero() to safely access smcsock. Since smctcpsynrecvsock() is called in the TCP three-way handshake path, taking readlockbh on skcallbacklock is too heavy and would not survive a SYN flood attack. Using rcureadlock() is much more lightweight.

- Set SOCKRCUFREE on the SMC listen socket so that smcsock freeing is deferred until after the RCU grace period. This guarantees the memory is still valid when accessed inside rcureadlock(). - Use rcureadlock() to protect reading skuserdata. - Use refcountincnotzero(&smc->sk.skrefcnt) to pin the smcsock. If the refcount has already reached zero (close path completed), it returns false and we bail out safely.

Note: smchscongested() has a similar lockless read of skuserdata without rcureadlock(), but it only checks for NULL and accesses the global smchswq, never dereferencing any smcsock field, so it is not affected.

Reproducer was verified with mdelay injection and smcrun, the issue no longer occurs with this patch applied.

[1] https://syzkaller.appspot.com/bug?extid=827ae2bfb3a3529333e9

Affected Software

12 affected components
Linux Linux kernel
Linux Linux kernel>=5.15.174<5.15.203
Linux Linux kernel>=5.18<6.1.167
Linux Linux kernel>=6.2<6.6.130
Linux Linux kernel>=6.7<6.12.78
Linux Linux kernel>=6.13<6.18.20
Linux Linux kernel>=6.19<6.19.10
Linux Linux kernel=7.0-rc1
Linux Linux kernel=7.0-rc2
Linux Linux kernel=7.0-rc3
Linux Linux kernel=7.0-rc4
Linux Linux kernel=7.0-rc5

Remediation

Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.

  1. Upgrade

    Upgrade net/smc: fix NULL dereference and UAF in smc_tcp_syn_recv_sock() to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Patch https://syzkaller.appspot.com/bug?extid=827ae2bfb3a3529333e9
  2. Configuration

    Set SOCK_RCU_FREE on the SMC listen socket so the clcsock/SMC listen socket can be safely handled with RCU during close while preventing NULL-deref/UAF races.

    Linux kernel net/smc (SMC TCP) SOCK_RCU_FREE on the SMC listen socket = Enable SOCK_RCU_FREE
  3. Compensating control

    Use an RCU read-side critical section when reading sk_user_data in smc_tcp_syn_recv_sock() (i.e., wrap reads of sk_user_data with rcu_read_lock()).

  4. Compensating control

    When reading smc_sock from sk_user_data, pin the object safely with refcount_inc_not_zero(&smc->sk.sk_refcnt) before dereferencing; this ensures the SMC socket is not freed to NULL/dangling access during the softirq/process race.

Event History

Apr 3, 2026
CVE Published
via MITRE·03:15 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·03:15 PM
DescriptionSeverity
Data Sourced
via NVD·04:16 PM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2026-23450?

The severity of CVE-2026-23450 is critical, with a score of 9.8.

2

What types of vulnerabilities does CVE-2026-23450 involve?

CVE-2026-23450 involves a Use After Free and a Null Pointer Dereference vulnerability.

3

What effect does CVE-2026-23450 have on the Linux kernel?

CVE-2026-23450 can lead to a system panic when the affected function is triggered during the TCP receive path.

4

How do I fix CVE-2026-23450?

To fix CVE-2026-23450, apply the available patches provided in the Linux kernel updates.

5

When was CVE-2026-23450 published?

CVE-2026-23450 was published on April 3, 2026.

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