In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: tcp: fix stale per-CPU tcp_tw_isn leak enabling ISN prediction Blamed

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

tcp: fix stale per-CPU tcp_tw_isn leak enabling ISN prediction

Blamed commit moved the TIME_WAIT-derived ISN from the skb control
block to a per-CPU variable, assuming the value would always be consumed
by tcp_conn_request() for the same packet that wrote it. That assumption
is violated by multiple drop paths between the producer
(__this_cpu_write(tcp_tw_isn, isn) in tcp_v{4,6}_rcv()) and the consumer
(tcp_conn_request()):

• min_ttl / min_hopcount check
• xfrm policy check
• tcp_inbound_hash() MD5/AO mismatch
• tcp_filter() eBPF/SO_ATTACH_FILTER drop
• th->syn && th->fin discard in tcp_rcv_state_process() TCP_LISTEN
• psp_sk_rx_policy_check() in tcp_v{4,6}_do_rcv()
• tcp_checksum_complete() in tcp_v{4,6}_do_rcv()
• tcp_v{4,6}_cookie_check() returning NULL

When a packet is dropped on any of these paths, tcp_tw_isn is left set.

The next SYN processed on the same CPU then consumes the non zero value in
tcp_conn_request(), receiving a potentially predictable ISN.

This patch moves back tcp_tw_isn to skb->cb[], getting rid of the per-cpu
variable.

Note that tcp_v{4,6}_fill_cb() do not set it.

Very litle impact on overall code size/complexity:

$ scripts/bloat-o-meter -t vmlinux.old vmlinux.new
add/remove: 0/0 grow/shrink: 2/1 up/down: 8/-15 (-7)
Function old new delta
tcp_v6_rcv 3038 3042 +4
tcp_v4_rcv 3035 3039 +4
tcp_conn_request 2938 2923 -15
Total: Before=24436060, After=24436053, chg -0.00%