[PATCH net 1/2] tcp: challenge ACK for non-exact RST in SYN-RECEIVED
From: Yuxiang Yang
Date: Fri Jul 17 2026 - 04:16:01 EST
The SYN-RECEIVED request-socket path in tcp_check_req() accepts an
in-window RST without requiring SEG.SEQ to exactly match RCV.NXT. A
non-exact RST therefore removes the request instead of eliciting a
challenge ACK.
RFC 9293 section 3.10.7.4 applies the RFC 5961 reset check in
SYN-RECEIVED: an exact RST resets the connection, while a non-exact
in-window RST must trigger a challenge ACK and be dropped.
Apply that check before the ACK-field validation, following the RFC
sequence-number, RST, then ACK processing order. Factor the per-netns
challenge ACK quota out of tcp_send_challenge_ack() so request sockets
can share it. Use the request socket's send_ack() callback and its own
out-of-window ACK timestamp to send and rate-limit the response.
Reported-by: Yuxiang Yang <yangyx22@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Reported-by: Yizhou Zhao <zhaoyz24@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Reported-by: Ao Wang <wangao@xxxxxxxxxx>
Reported-by: Xuewei Feng <fengxw06@xxxxxxx>
Reported-by: Qi Li <qli01@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Reported-by: Ke Xu <xuke@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Fixes: 282f23c6ee34 ("tcp: implement RFC 5961 3.2")
Cc: stable@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Signed-off-by: Yuxiang Yang <yangyx22@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
---
include/net/tcp.h | 2 ++
net/ipv4/tcp_input.c | 56 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++----------
net/ipv4/tcp_minisocks.c | 12 ++++++++-
3 files changed, 56 insertions(+), 14 deletions(-)
diff --git a/include/net/tcp.h b/include/net/tcp.h
index 6d376ea4d..2c5b88953 100644
--- a/include/net/tcp.h
+++ b/include/net/tcp.h
@@ -1974,6 +1974,8 @@ static inline void tcp_fast_path_check(struct sock *sk)
bool tcp_oow_rate_limited(struct net *net, const struct sk_buff *skb,
int mib_idx, u32 *last_oow_ack_time);
+void tcp_reqsk_send_challenge_ack(struct sock *sk, struct sk_buff *skb,
+ struct request_sock *req);
static inline void tcp_mib_init(struct net *net)
{
diff --git a/net/ipv4/tcp_input.c b/net/ipv4/tcp_input.c
index 61045a888..daff93d51 100644
--- a/net/ipv4/tcp_input.c
+++ b/net/ipv4/tcp_input.c
@@ -4038,24 +4038,17 @@ static void tcp_send_ack_reflect_ect(struct sock *sk, bool accecn_reflector)
__tcp_send_ack(sk, tp->rcv_nxt, flags);
}
-/* RFC 5961 7 [ACK Throttling] */
-static void tcp_send_challenge_ack(struct sock *sk, bool accecn_reflector)
+/* Consume one slot from the per-netns RFC 5961 challenge ACK quota.
+ * Returns true if a challenge ACK may be sent.
+ */
+static bool tcp_challenge_ack_allowed(struct net *net)
{
- struct tcp_sock *tp = tcp_sk(sk);
- struct net *net = sock_net(sk);
u32 count, now, ack_limit;
- /* First check our per-socket dupack rate limit. */
- if (__tcp_oow_rate_limited(net,
- LINUX_MIB_TCPACKSKIPPEDCHALLENGE,
- &tp->last_oow_ack_time))
- return;
-
ack_limit = READ_ONCE(net->ipv4.sysctl_tcp_challenge_ack_limit);
if (ack_limit == INT_MAX)
- goto send_ack;
+ return true;
- /* Then check host-wide RFC 5961 rate limit. */
now = jiffies / HZ;
if (now != READ_ONCE(net->ipv4.tcp_challenge_timestamp)) {
u32 half = (ack_limit + 1) >> 1;
@@ -4067,12 +4060,49 @@ static void tcp_send_challenge_ack(struct sock *sk, bool accecn_reflector)
count = READ_ONCE(net->ipv4.tcp_challenge_count);
if (count > 0) {
WRITE_ONCE(net->ipv4.tcp_challenge_count, count - 1);
-send_ack:
+ return true;
+ }
+ return false;
+}
+
+/* RFC 5961 7 [ACK Throttling] */
+static void tcp_send_challenge_ack(struct sock *sk, bool accecn_reflector)
+{
+ struct tcp_sock *tp = tcp_sk(sk);
+ struct net *net = sock_net(sk);
+
+ /* First check our per-socket dupack rate limit. */
+ if (__tcp_oow_rate_limited(net,
+ LINUX_MIB_TCPACKSKIPPEDCHALLENGE,
+ &tp->last_oow_ack_time))
+ return;
+
+ /* Then check the per-netns RFC 5961 rate limit. */
+ if (tcp_challenge_ack_allowed(net)) {
NET_INC_STATS(net, LINUX_MIB_TCPCHALLENGEACK);
tcp_send_ack_reflect_ect(sk, accecn_reflector);
}
}
+/* Send a challenge ACK from a SYN-RECEIVED request socket. Uses
+ * __tcp_oow_rate_limited() directly so that an RST carrying payload
+ * cannot bypass the per-request rate limit.
+ */
+void tcp_reqsk_send_challenge_ack(struct sock *sk, struct sk_buff *skb,
+ struct request_sock *req)
+{
+ struct net *net = sock_net(sk);
+
+ if (__tcp_oow_rate_limited(net, LINUX_MIB_TCPACKSKIPPEDCHALLENGE,
+ &tcp_rsk(req)->last_oow_ack_time))
+ return;
+
+ if (tcp_challenge_ack_allowed(net)) {
+ NET_INC_STATS(net, LINUX_MIB_TCPCHALLENGEACK);
+ req->rsk_ops->send_ack(sk, skb, req);
+ }
+}
+
static void tcp_store_ts_recent(struct tcp_sock *tp)
{
tp->rx_opt.ts_recent = tp->rx_opt.rcv_tsval;
diff --git a/net/ipv4/tcp_minisocks.c b/net/ipv4/tcp_minisocks.c
index ddc4b17a8..6ab3e3a0b 100644
--- a/net/ipv4/tcp_minisocks.c
+++ b/net/ipv4/tcp_minisocks.c
@@ -833,7 +833,7 @@ struct sock *tcp_check_req(struct sock *sk, struct sk_buff *skb,
* elsewhere and is checked directly against the child socket rather
* than req because user data may have been sent out.
*/
- if ((flg & TCP_FLAG_ACK) && !fastopen &&
+ if ((flg & TCP_FLAG_ACK) && !(flg & TCP_FLAG_RST) && !fastopen &&
(TCP_SKB_CB(skb)->ack_seq !=
tcp_rsk(req)->snt_isn + 1))
return sk;
@@ -872,6 +872,16 @@ struct sock *tcp_check_req(struct sock *sk, struct sk_buff *skb,
flg &= ~TCP_FLAG_SYN;
}
+ /* RFC 5961 section 3.2, as clarified by RFC 9293 section
+ * 3.10.7.4, requires a challenge ACK for a non-exact
+ * in-window RST in SYN-RECEIVED.
+ */
+ if ((flg & TCP_FLAG_RST) &&
+ TCP_SKB_CB(skb)->seq != tcp_rsk(req)->rcv_nxt) {
+ tcp_reqsk_send_challenge_ack(sk, skb, req);
+ return NULL;
+ }
+
/* RFC793: "second check the RST bit" and
* "fourth, check the SYN bit"
*/
--
2.34.1