CVE-2026-98071
Received Received - Intake

Race Condition in Linux Kernel RDS Connection Path Reset

Vulnerability report for CVE-2026-98071, including description, CVSS score, EPSS score, affected products, exploitability, helpful resources, and attack-flow context.

Publication date: 2026-09-25

Last updated on: 2026-09-25

Assigner: kernel.org

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/rds: clear cp_flags bits individually in rds_conn_path_reset() rds_conn_path_reset() wipes the whole flag word with a plain cp->cp_flags = 0 store. Every other accessor of that word uses atomic bitops, and some of them can run concurrently with the reset: RDS_LL_SEND_FULL is set from rds_send_xmit() and cleared from the transport completion paths, neither of which holds anything that excludes the shutdown worker. A plain store racing an atomic read-modify-write on the same word is a data race, and whichever side loses has its update silently discarded. Clear the two bits the reset is actually responsible for instead. RDS_IN_XMIT and RDS_RECV_REFILL need no store at all here: they belong to the caller, rds_conn_shutdown(), which waits for both to be clear before calling the transport shutdown and this reset. This also gives every bit in cp_flags a single well-defined writer discipline, which the following patches rely on when they turn RDS_IN_XMIT and RDS_RECV_REFILL into bit locks held across the teardown: a blanket store mid-teardown would destroy lock ownership that an atomic clear preserves. Oracle UEK carries the same conversion ("net/rds: Preserve essential connection state flags"), motivated by its asynchronous shutdown state machine, whose progress and destroy flags must survive the reset. UEK's variant also clears RDS_IN_XMIT and RDS_RECV_REFILL because there the reset runs as the final step of a teardown that owns both bits, making those clears its unlock. Upstream that release belongs in rds_conn_shutdown(): once a later patch in this series turns the two bits into locks held across the teardown, ending ownership needs release semantics and a wake-up that a plain clear inside the reset would not provide. Based on Oracle UEK commit "net/rds: Preserve essential connection state flags" by Gerd Rausch.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-09-25
Last Modified
2026-09-25
Generated
2026-09-25
AI Q&A
2026-09-25
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
EUVD

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
oracle uek *

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

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CWE ID Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

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Executive Summary

This vulnerability in the Linux kernel involves a data race in the RDS (Reliable Datagram Sockets) connection path reset function. The issue occurs when rds_conn_path_reset() clears all flags in cp_flags with a single store operation while other parts of the code use atomic bit operations to modify individual flags concurrently. This race condition can cause flag updates to be silently discarded, potentially leading to incorrect connection state management.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to the Linux kernel's RDS (Reliable Datagram Sockets) implementation and requires kernel-level inspection. Detection involves checking kernel logs for related errors or verifying the presence of the vulnerable code path. Commands like dmesg, journalctl, or examining kernel source code may help identify the issue.

Impact Analysis

The vulnerability could lead to network connection instability or failures in systems using the RDS protocol. It may cause data transmission issues, connection drops, or unexpected behavior in applications relying on RDS for reliable communication. Systems running affected Linux kernel versions could experience reliability problems in network services.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the latest kernel patches from your distribution to resolve the issue. If patches are unavailable, consider disabling the RDS module temporarily using rmmod rds or blacklisting it. Monitor kernel updates closely for fixes.

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