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

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.

Source published

19 Jul 2026 14:55:17 UTC

Source modified

19 Oct 2026 20:17:55 UTC

Observed here

23 Oct 2026 15:48:27 UTC

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CVSS 3.1 · 8.2 CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:H