High

CVE-2026-68118 — tcp: challenge ACK for non-exact RST in SYN-RECEIVED

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: tcp: challenge ACK for non-exact RST in SYN-RECEIVED The SYN-RECEIVED request-socket path in tcp_check_req() accepts an in-window RST without requiring SEG.SEQ to exactly match RCV.NXT. A non-exact RST therefore removes the request instead of eliciting a challenge ACK. RFC 9293 section 3.10.7.4 applies the RFC 5961 reset check in SYN-RECEIVED: an exact RST resets the connection, while a non-exact in-window RST must trigger a challenge ACK and be dropped. Apply that check before the ACK-field validation, following the RFC sequence-number, RST, then ACK processing order. Factor the per-netns challenge ACK quota out of tcp_send_challenge_ack() so request sockets can share it. Use the request socket's send_ack() callback and its own out-of-window ACK timestamp to send and rate-limit the response.

Published Aug 10, 2026 · Updated Oct 15, 2026 · Sources: NIST National Vulnerability Database, CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP · CNA: Linux

Low

Who exploits it and how urgent it is

A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.

No exploitation signal in the sources consulted so far.

How the score was calculated

Technical severity (high)+6

The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).

Triage

Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.

Exploitation

Not confirmed

Not in CISA KEV — an absence of record, not proof it is unexploited.

EPSS FIRST

—

No EPSS score.

Affects

Linux

CVSS base

8.2

High · 2 source(s)

Remediation

Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.

No fix documented by the sources we poll. That does not mean none exists: check the vendor advisory.

First 24 hours

Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.

Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Linux Linux).
The attack is network-based and needs no privileges: restrict exposure (ACLs, VPN, WAF) until patched.
No fix documented in the sources: reduce exposure and monitor the vendor advisory.
Search available logs for exploit probes, errors and authentication anomalies.

Affected scope

Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.

Vendor	Product	Versions	Status	Source
Linux	Linux	≥ 282f23c6ee343126156dd41218b22ece96d747e3 and < 8b0a3a094f4cae2fb92e4d08d4eef7246a9d9c49≥ 282f23c6ee343126156dd41218b22ece96d747e3 and < 0fe4636665d14a258de70b4f3e8248e6d42038f1≥ 282f23c6ee343126156dd41218b22ece96d747e3 and < 234f9ffbd9b2c1b24ec67200ea3cff07401bec48≥ 282f23c6ee343126156dd41218b22ece96d747e3 and < 22cec809b048495310f206d9abbcdbbfbdce3ae3≥ 282f23c6ee343126156dd41218b22ece96d747e3 and < a28c4fcbf774e23b4779cae468e3497a5ad1f4a1version 86791bbfe5ed7b275be040cfeff049a1624af1b7version 61f69dc4e40e41b0018f00fa4aeb23d3239556fbversion 34fb350281ced2a72707a5c0064f69992d440edb and 4 more ≥ 3.0.58 and < 3.1≥ 3.2.37 and < 3.3≥ 3.4.25 and < 3.5version 3.6	Vulnerable	CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP

Attack characteristics

The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.

Attack vector

Network

Attack complexity

Low

Privileges required

None

User interaction

None

Scope

Unchanged

Confidentiality

None

Integrity

Low

Availability

High

Every base score collected

Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.

Score	Version	Severity	Expl.	Impact	Scored by
8.2	CVSS 3.1	High	3.9	4.2	416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 via NIST National Vulnerability Database
8.2	CVSS 3.1	High	—	—	Linux via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:H (score shown at the top: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67)

Detection

Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.

Prioritize edge telemetry for the network-reachable component (proxy, WAF, IDS/IPS).

web/proxy/WAF logsnetwork IDS/IPS

Timeline

What happened to this CVE, newest first.

2026
Affected products added · linux/linux
Oct 15, 2026 · CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
Record published
Oct 15, 2026
CVSS changed · 8.2
Oct 15, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
Source status changed · → Received
Oct 15, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
Record created in this database
Oct 15, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
CVE published
Aug 10, 2026 · Linux

Source activity

Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.

1× Official description updated · Oct 15, 2026 – Oct 15, 2026

References

5 on the record

git.kernel.org/stable/c/22cec809b048495310f206d9abbcdbbfbdce3ae3
NIST National Vulnerability Database
git.kernel.org/stable/c/8b0a3a094f4cae2fb92e4d08d4eef7246a9d9c49
NIST National Vulnerability Database
git.kernel.org/stable/c/a28c4fcbf774e23b4779cae468e3497a5ad1f4a1
NIST National Vulnerability Database
git.kernel.org/stable/c/234f9ffbd9b2c1b24ec67200ea3cff07401bec48
NIST National Vulnerability Database
git.kernel.org/stable/c/0fe4636665d14a258de70b4f3e8248e6d42038f1
NIST National Vulnerability Database

Elsewhere on this site

Linux
every CVE for this vendor

Related CVEs (same products)

Critical CVE-2026-99999 ipv4: validate checksum_start before completing checksum 14h
Unknown CVE-2026-98432 ipv4: free inet_opt and ireq_opt after an RCU grace period 14h
Unknown CVE-2026-98424 wifi: cfg80211: undo netns switch if renaming the wiphy fails 1d
Unknown CVE-2026-98425 wifi: mac80211: don't warn when an IBSS has no channel to scan 1d
Unknown CVE-2026-98426 wifi: mwifiex: fix IRQ leak using wrong index in MSI-X error path 1d
Unknown CVE-2026-98427 net/sched: codel: bound the dropping loop per dequeue call 1d

Not in any source we poll

Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.

No FIRST EPSS score.
No fixed version, patch or mitigation documented.
No CISA SSVC assessment.
No CWE classification.
No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.

Answered from this record

Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.

What should defenders know first?

CVE-2026-68118 is "tcp: challenge ACK for non-exact RST in SYN-RECEIVED", rated High. It affects Linux (Linux); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 8.2 describes technical severity. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.

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