CVE-2026-72502
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: tcp: ipv6: clamp default adverting MSS to avoid GSO_BY_FRAGS (0xFFFF) When MTU is large, ip6_default_advmss() can return IPV6_MAXPLEN (65535).
Does this matter?
High impact if exploited, but EPSS currently rates exploitation as unlikely (0.70%). Schedule it in the normal patch cycle and watch for a rise in EPSS or a public exploit.
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: tcp: ipv6: clamp default adverting MSS to avoid GSO_BY_FRAGS (0xFFFF) When MTU is large, ip6_default_advmss() can return IPV6_MAXPLEN (65535). This is interpreted by TCP as mss_clamp, allowing the MSS to reach 65535. However, 0xFFFF is also used as a magic value GSO_BY_FRAGS in the kernel. If a TCP packet with gso_size=0xFFFF is passed to skb_segment(), it will be mistakenly treated as GSO_BY_FRAGS, leading to a NULL pointer dereference because local TCP packets do not use frag_list. Fix this by returning min(IPV6_MAXPLEN, GSO_BY_FRAGS - 1) (65534) from ip6_default_advmss() when MTU is large. Also update the stale comment in ip6_default_advmss() which suggested that IPV6_MAXPLEN is returned to mean "any MSS".
- CVSS 3.1
- 7.5 HIGHCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
- EPSS
- 0.70% probability · 51th percentile
- CISA KEV
- Not listed
- Source
- 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/21f69ac1879bb970588d5e7c12a96e6542f7c1a7
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2bf43d0e2e6a27d52a7d624e2d6b9116972e8a22
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/560b33b434e922ef97f9ff23aa2e909ef7aacd5c
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/572fff10819dfc359298d1f774839e76a4d96f93
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8e6214a530c03e341dc1b0a846c8f2b716b3551a
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a210791f33345aa87187f7d7a9f3b9b7f4a28e6d
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c0db3dc2ac323b6c4b76adede3b355a9daa6dea8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d774cdbda6634a78d0f2baf201ee5a8c57f3bc0e
Source: NVD record, EPSS from FIRST.org, KEV from CISA. Refreshed daily.