CVE-2026-43226
Published: May 6, 2026· Updated: May 8, 2026
Official Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
net/rds: No shortcut out of RDS_CONN_ERROR
RDS connections carry a state "rds_conn_path::cp_state"
and transitions from one state to another and are conditional
upon an expected state: "rds_conn_path_transition."
There is one exception to this conditionality, which is
"RDS_CONN_ERROR" that can be enforced by "rds_conn_path_drop"
regardless of what state the condition is currently in.
But as soon as a connection enters state "RDS_CONN_ERROR",
the connection handling code expects it to go through the
shutdown-path.
The RDS/TCP multipath changes added a shortcut out of
"RDS_CONN_ERROR" straight back to "RDS_CONN_CONNECTING"
via "rds_tcp_accept_one_path" (e.g. after "rds_tcp_state_change").
A subsequent "rds_tcp_reset_callbacks" can then transition
the state to "RDS_CONN_RESETTING" with a shutdown-worker queued.
That'll trip up "rds_conn_init_shutdown", which was
never adjusted to handle "RDS_CONN_RESETTING" and subsequently
drops the connection with the dreaded "DR_INV_CONN_STATE",
which leaves "RDS_SHUTDOWN_WORK_QUEUED" on forever.
So we do two things here:
a) Don't shortcut "RDS_CONN_ERROR", but take the longer
path through the shutdown code.
b) Add "RDS_CONN_RESETTING" to the expected states in
"rds_conn_init_shutdown" so that we won't error out
and get stuck, if we ever hit weird state transitions
like this again."
Technical Analysis
CVE-2026-43226 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.
The vulnerability requires no privileges and no user interaction, making it a prime target for automated exploitation campaigns and worm-like propagation.
A successful exploit results in availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 7.5.
CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown
Affected Vendors & Products
Exploit & PoC Resources
Official Patches & Advisories
All References (8)
Quick Facts
Recommended Actions
- →Apply vendor patches immediately
- →Monitor CVE-2026-43226 in threat intel feeds
- →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts