CVE-2026-74662

A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's internet fragmentation (inet: frags) code. A race condition exists where the fragment queue timer can be activated before the queue is properly registered. This premature timer activation can lead to an inconsistent state, resulting in a stale hash node. This issue may cause memory corruption or resource exhaustion, potentially leading to a system crash or Denial of Service (DoS).

This vulnerability is rated as having an Important severity impact on Red Hat Enterprise Linux because local unprivileged users could trigger memory corruption and cause a denial of service or potential privilege escalation. The flaw stems from a timing window in IP fragment queue lifecycle management, typically reachable when fragment timeouts are manipulated in network namespaces. Under standard enterprise configurations, triggering the race condition requires non-default namespace timeout adjustments, but the resulting kernel state inconsistency can compromise system stability.

The CVSS score(s) listed for this vulnerability do not reflect the associated product's status, and are included for informational purposes to better understand the severity of this vulnerability.

Mitigation for this issue is either not available or the currently available options do not meet the Red Hat Product Security criteria comprising ease of use and deployment, applicability to widespread installation base, or stability.