CVE-2026-63913: netfilter: conntrack: tcp: do not force CLOSE on invalid-seq RST without direction check

Severity: high (CVSS 8.2 v3.1)
Exploited in the wild: not listed in CISA KEV
EPSS: 1.0% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
Public exploit or detection template: none known
Published: 2026-07-19 · updated 2026-10-30
Weakness: CWE-20

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netfilter: conntrack: tcp: do not force CLOSE on invalid-seq RST without direction check An unintended behavior in the TCP conntrack state machine allows a connection to be forced into the CLOSE state using an RST packet with an invalid sequence number. Specifically, after a SYN packet is observed, an RST with an invalid SEQ can transition the conntrack entry to TCP_CONNTRACK_CLOSE, regardless of whether the RST corresponds to the expected reply direction. The relevant code path assumes the RST is a response to an outgoing SYN, but does not validate packet direction or ensure that a matching SYN was actually sent in the opposite direction. As a result, a crafted packet sequence consisting of a SYN followed by an invalid-sequence RST can prematurely terminate an active NAT entry. This makes connection teardown easier than intended. So, tighten the state transition logic to ensure that RST-triggered CLOSE transitions only occur when the RST is a valid response to a previously observed SYN in the correct direction.

Affected products

Linux kernel: from 2.6.15 before 5.10.259; from 5.11 before 5.15.210; from 5.16 before 6.1.176; from 6.2 before 6.6.143; from 6.7 before 6.12.93; from 6.13 before 6.18.35 — fixed in 5.10.259, 5.15.210, 6.1.176, 6.6.143, 6.12.93, 6.18.35
Linux kernel: 2.6.15 — fixed in 7.1

How to fix

Upgrade to a fixed version: Linux kernel 5.10.259, 5.15.210, 6.1.176, 6.6.143; Linux kernel 7.1. Check the vendor advisory for mitigations.

References

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