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CVE-2026-98801

Linux: net: restrict SO_RESERVE_MEM to TCP sockets and cap max value

Linux LinuxOperating systems
CVSS
NoneNot scored
ExploitationNo known exploitationNot in CISA KEV, which does not prove it is unexploitedCISA KEV
Exploit odds (EPSS)0.17%Chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 5% of CVEs. Scored 23 Oct 2026FIRST EPSS
Fixed in492e04f9a00f3cc88a1f6899417b10f3019a624eAlso 5069ce898148bd799395c5a464e006cbb840f188, 37e02c42a00be692c06343e11779aadc45f45971CVE List
Published18 Oct 2026Updated 19 Oct 2026CVE List

What fixes it

  • 492e04f9a00f3cc88a1f6899417b10f3019a624eLinuxCVE List
  • 5069ce898148bd799395c5a464e006cbb840f188LinuxCVE List
  • 37e02c42a00be692c06343e11779aadc45f45971LinuxCVE List

A fixed version on one release line is not the upgrade target for every line. Check your exact version and any vendor backports.

Description

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

net: restrict SO_RESERVE_MEM to TCP sockets and cap max value

Commit 2bb2f5fb21b0 ("net: add new socket option SO_RESERVE_MEM") and commit d00c8ee31729 ("net: fix possible NULL deref in sock_reserve_memory") only checked sk_has_account(sk), which is true for both TCP and UDP sockets.

However, SO_RESERVE_MEM and sk_unused_reserved_mem() are currently only supported by TCP:

  • On UDP sockets, sk->sk_forward_alloc is protected by

sk->sk_receive_queue.lock, whereas sock_reserve_memory() and sock_release_reserved_memory() only acquire lock_sock(sk). Concurrent UDP packet reception/release and setsockopt(SO_RESERVE_MEM) corrupt sk_forward_alloc and memcg accounting.

  • udp_rmem_release() reclaims excess sk_forward_alloc without

accounting for sk_unused_reserved_mem(sk).

Restrict sock_reserve_memory() to TCP sockets (sk_is_tcp(sk)) for now. Supporting SO_RESERVE_MEM for UDP (acquiring sk_receive_queue.lock and honoring sk_unused_reserved_mem() in udp_rmem_release()) can be done in a future net-next series if needed.

In addition, reject val > SZ_1G with -EINVAL in sk_setsockopt(SO_RESERVE_MEM). Without an upper bound, values near INT_MAX cause sk_mem_pages(delta) and (pages << PAGE_SHIFT) to overflow 32-bit signed int, corrupting sk->sk_forward_alloc and sk->sk_reserved_mem. Using a page-aligned cap (SZ_1G) ensures that the page-rounded sk->sk_reserved_mem reported by getsockopt(SO_RESERVE_MEM) can always be passed back to setsockopt(SO_RESERVE_MEM).

Text from CVE List

Affected versions 10

  • Linuxaffected: 2bb2f5fb21b0486ff69b7b4a1fe03a760527d133 before 492e04f9a00f3cc88a1f6899417b10f3019a624eCVE List
  • Linuxaffected: 2bb2f5fb21b0486ff69b7b4a1fe03a760527d133 before 5069ce898148bd799395c5a464e006cbb840f188CVE List
  • Linuxaffected: 2bb2f5fb21b0486ff69b7b4a1fe03a760527d133 before a467b05b201b5c26be52ed3081992fa9c0387648CVE List
  • Linuxaffected: 2bb2f5fb21b0486ff69b7b4a1fe03a760527d133 before 37e02c42a00be692c06343e11779aadc45f45971CVE List
  • Linuxaffected: 5.16CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: all versions before 5.16CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 6.12.113 through 6.12.*CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 6.18.56 through 6.18.*CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 7.2.10 through 7.2.*CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 7.3CVE List

References 4