In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
rxrpc: Fix bug due to prealloc collision
When userspace is using AF_RXRPC to provide a server, it has to preallocate incoming calls and assign to them call IDs that will be used to thread related recvmsg() and sendmsg() together. The preallocated call IDs will automatically be attached to calls as they come in until the pool is empty.
To the kernel, the call IDs are just arbitrary numbers, but userspace can use the call ID to hold a pointer to prepared structs. In any case, the user isn't permitted to create two calls with the same call ID (call IDs become available again when the call ends) and EBADSLT should result from sendmsg() if an attempt is made to preallocate a call with an in-use call ID.
However, the cleanup in the error handling will trigger both assertions in rxrpc_cleanup_call() because the call isn't marked complete and isn't marked as having been released.
Fix this by setting the call state in rxrpc_service_prealloc_one() and then marking it as being released before calling the cleanup function.
| Software | From | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| linux / linux_kernel | 4.9 | 6.6.99 |
| linux / linux_kernel | 6.7 | 6.12.39 |
| linux / linux_kernel | 6.13 | 6.15.7 |
| linux / linux_kernel | 6.16-rc1 | 6.16-rc1.x |
| linux / linux_kernel | 6.16-rc2 | 6.16-rc2.x |
| linux / linux_kernel | 6.16-rc3 | 6.16-rc3.x |
| linux / linux_kernel | 6.16-rc4 | 6.16-rc4.x |
| linux / linux_kernel | 6.16-rc5 | 6.16-rc5.x |
A security vulnerability is a weakness in software, hardware, or configuration that can be exploited to compromise confidentiality, integrity, or availability. Many vulnerabilities are tracked as CVEs (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures), which provide a standardized identifier so teams can coordinate patching, mitigation, and risk assessment across tools and vendors.
CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System) estimates technical severity, but it doesn't automatically equal business risk. Prioritize using context like internet exposure, affected asset criticality, known exploitation (proof-of-concept or in-the-wild), and whether compensating controls exist. A "Medium" CVSS on an exposed, production system can be more urgent than a "Critical" on an isolated, non-production host.
A vulnerability is the underlying weakness. An exploit is the method or code used to take advantage of it. A zero-day is a vulnerability that is unknown to the vendor or has no publicly available fix when attackers begin using it. In practice, risk increases sharply when exploitation becomes reliable or widespread.
Recurring findings usually come from incomplete Asset Discovery, inconsistent patch management, inherited images, and configuration drift. In modern environments, you also need to watch the software supply chain: dependencies, containers, build pipelines, and third-party services can reintroduce the same weakness even after you patch a single host. Unknown or unmanaged assets (often called Shadow IT) are a common reason the same issues resurface.
Use a simple, repeatable triage model: focus first on externally exposed assets, high-value systems (identity, VPN, email, production), vulnerabilities with known exploits, and issues that enable remote code execution or privilege escalation. Then enforce patch SLAs and track progress using consistent metrics so remediation is steady, not reactive.
SynScan combines attack surface monitoring and continuous security auditing to keep your inventory current, flag high-impact vulnerabilities early, and help you turn raw findings into a practical remediation plan.