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CVE-2026-98805

Linux: tipc: prevent GCM nonce reuse on peer key changes

Linux LinuxOperating systems
CVSS
NoneNot scored
ExploitationNo known exploitationNot in CISA KEV, which does not prove it is unexploitedCISA KEV
Exploit odds (EPSS)0.13%Chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 2% of CVEs. Scored 23 Oct 2026FIRST EPSS
Fixed in5c8ce13c792e28d56f9ec3cd6728d8225bc0e3a2Also 60e0c2aeaa605ff19ca4e65126a35643d4d7ee1c, 512ccd3d0e91e791fb37442aa0a2599aca19783dCVE List
Published18 Oct 2026Updated 21 Oct 2026CVE List

What fixes it

  • 5c8ce13c792e28d56f9ec3cd6728d8225bc0e3a2LinuxCVE List
  • 60e0c2aeaa605ff19ca4e65126a35643d4d7ee1cLinuxCVE List
  • 512ccd3d0e91e791fb37442aa0a2599aca19783dLinuxCVE 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:

tipc: prevent GCM nonce reuse on peer key changes

TIPC can encrypt traffic between nodes using a different transmit key for each node. In this mode, the AES-GCM nonce for a packet sent to a known peer consists of a 32-bit prefix (a per-key salt XOR the peer's address) followed by a 64-bit counter. That counter is stored in the peer's RX crypto object. When the peer reports a change in which key it uses to receive packets, TIPC resets this counter. The sender can still be using the same TX key and salt, so subsequent packets reuse earlier nonces. This nonce reuse breaks confidentiality and exposes GCM's authentication key. This makes forgeries trivial: an attacker can exploit CTR malleability to alter captured ciphertexts and use the recovered authentication key to compute a valid tag for the modified ciphertext, under the same key and nonce.

Use the TX key's existing aead->seqno counter instead. All encryptions using that key object share the same atomic counter, so concurrent encryptions get distinct nonce counter values. The counter survives key activation and peer reconnection, and peer key-status reports cannot reset it. This prevents those transitions from causing nonce reuse while the same TX key remains installed.

The nonce format is unchanged, and receivers do not require consecutive counter values, so sharing the counter across peers remains compatible with existing receivers. A pre-existing check still invokes key revocation in the unlikely event that the counter wraps to zero.

Text from CVE List

Affected versions 12

  • Linuxaffected: fc1b6d6de2208774efd2a20bf0daddb02d18b1e0 before a85a3dce4b6c73ddaa1e9725b906249744bf7cf2CVE List
  • Linuxaffected: fc1b6d6de2208774efd2a20bf0daddb02d18b1e0 before 5c8ce13c792e28d56f9ec3cd6728d8225bc0e3a2CVE List
  • Linuxaffected: fc1b6d6de2208774efd2a20bf0daddb02d18b1e0 before f74f100e49588c1dbdc6ab3ba9e2c67b36d015d0CVE List
  • Linuxaffected: fc1b6d6de2208774efd2a20bf0daddb02d18b1e0 before 60e0c2aeaa605ff19ca4e65126a35643d4d7ee1cCVE List
  • Linuxaffected: fc1b6d6de2208774efd2a20bf0daddb02d18b1e0 before 512ccd3d0e91e791fb37442aa0a2599aca19783dCVE List
  • Linuxaffected: 5.5CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: all versions before 5.5CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 6.6.160 through 6.6.*CVE 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 5