Paper/Archive/CVE-2026-90110

CVE-2026-90110

Linux Linux — inetpeer: randomize RB-tree node comparison using SipHash

Description · from the CVE record

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: inetpeer: randomize RB-tree node comparison using SipHash The inetpeer rate limiting system stores peer entries in a Red-Black tree keyed deterministically on the remote IP address. Because tree lookups walk the RB-tree using standard lexicographical comparisons (inetpeer_addr_cmp), an off-path adversary can predict the exact topology of the tree and the sequence of nodes traversed during lookups (the gc_stack candidate list). By combining deterministic tree traversal with aggressive garbage collection (triggered when tree size exceeds inet_peer_threshold), an attacker can selectively force the eviction of targeted inet_peer nodes. When an evicted node is subsequently re-created upon receiving a new packet, its rate-limiting token bucket (rate_tokens, rate_last) is reset to full capacity. This creates a side-channel primitive allowing off-path attackers to bypass IP-keyed ICMP rate limits and infer open UDP ports (similar to SAD DNS style attacks). Mitigate this by randomizing the RB-tree node comparison logic using SipHash with a secret key (inetpeer_hash_key) initialized via net_get_random_once(). Nodes are ordered in the tree by SipHash(addr, key) rather than raw IP addresses. Because the secret key is unknown to external entities, the tree layout and lookup traversal paths are unpredictable to off-path adversaries, breaking the deterministic eviction gadget. Cache the computed 64-bit SipHash (hash) in struct inet_peer and compute the target hash (dhash) once at the beginning of inet_getpeer() to avoid recomputing SipHash at every step of the RB-tree walk.

Affected

ProductAffectedFixed inSource
Linuxb145425f269a17ed344d737f746b844dfac60c82 – < b20e98f0bb668a59abaf7bcf85d75c073e90d352b20e98f0bb668a59abaf7bcf85d75c073e90d352CNA
Linuxb145425f269a17ed344d737f746b844dfac60c82 – < 5f127e3cc9647a8a70db12c65dbd0de4735453805f127e3cc9647a8a70db12c65dbd0de473545380CNA
Linuxb145425f269a17ed344d737f746b844dfac60c82 – < 199fcf285e498111e029137d088949bc6c26d578199fcf285e498111e029137d088949bc6c26d578CNA
Linuxb145425f269a17ed344d737f746b844dfac60c82 – < 857681f6835d5b0a7bc4a34a026baeaaf5215623857681f6835d5b0a7bc4a34a026baeaaf5215623CNA
Linuxb145425f269a17ed344d737f746b844dfac60c82 – < 7109bb63667a53e4542ad845476f97d0c8b28a617109bb63667a53e4542ad845476f97d0c8b28a61CNA
Linuxb145425f269a17ed344d737f746b844dfac60c82 – < 2ee66e9487172fcd189bc52a767c30dad7141c092ee66e9487172fcd189bc52a767c30dad7141c09CNA
Linux4.14–CNA

Scores by source

Linux (CNA)9.4CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:L

References

refgit.kernel.org/stable/c/b20e98f0bb668a59abaf7bcf85d75c073e90d352refgit.kernel.org/stable/c/5f127e3cc9647a8a70db12c65dbd0de473545380refgit.kernel.org/stable/c/199fcf285e498111e029137d088949bc6c26d578refgit.kernel.org/stable/c/857681f6835d5b0a7bc4a34a026baeaaf5215623refgit.kernel.org/stable/c/7109bb63667a53e4542ad845476f97d0c8b28a61refgit.kernel.org/stable/c/2ee66e9487172fcd189bc52a767c30dad7141c09