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CVSS 9.8 · CRITICAL

CVE-2026-74588Memory corruption in Linux kernel SCTP stack

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: sctp: keep chunk->transport in step with the list it is queued on __sctp_outq_flush_rtx() moves a gap-acked chunk onto another transport's transmitted list without updating chunk->transport: if (chunk->tsn_gap_acked) { list_move_tail(&chunk->transmitted_list, &transport->transmitted); continue; } The chunk then sits on a live transport's list while chunk->transport still names a different one. If that transport is removed - sctp_assoc_rm_peer() from an ASCONF Delete-IP - sctp_transport_free() RCU-frees it and the chunk is left with a dangling pointer. sctp_assoc_rm_peer() scrubs peer->transmitted and asoc->outqueue.out_chunk_list, but the chunk is on neither. The pointer is not followed while tsn_gap_acked is set. A SACK that reneges on the TSN clears the flag, and the next SACK reaches tchunk->transport->flight_size -= sctp_data_size(tchunk); inside the freed transport. KASAN reports a slab-use-after-free read in sctp_check_transmitted(), freed from sctp_assoc_rm_peer(). Both the removal and the SACKs come from the association peer. Set chunk->transport at the move. The ordinary resend path needs nothing: it reaches its list_move_tail() only after sctp_packet_append_chunk() returned SCTP_XMIT_OK, and __sctp_packet_append_chunk() has rebound the chunk by then. Discovered by XBOW, triaged by Baul Lee <[email protected]>

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Analysis

A critical use-after-free vulnerability exists in the Linux kernel SCTP implementation. This flaw could allow an attacker to cause memory corruption or a system crash via network traffic, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution at the kernel level.

Relevant roles

LinuxBackendCloudDockerKubernetesC

Severity

Score: 9.8(CRITICAL)
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
AV: NETWORK
AC: LOW
PR: NONE
UI: NONE
S: UNCHANGED
C: HIGH
I: HIGH
A: HIGH

EPSS

Probability of exploitation (next 30 days): 0.0018 (0.2%)
Percentile: 7.2%
EPSS: 2026-08-24

Technical description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: sctp: keep chunk->transport in step with the list it is queued on __sctp_outq_flush_rtx() moves a gap-acked chunk onto another transport's transmitted list without updating chunk->transport: if (chunk->tsn_gap_acked) { list_move_tail(&chunk->transmitted_list, &transport->transmitted); continue; } The chunk then sits on a live transport's list while chunk->transport still names a different one. If that transport is removed - sctp_assoc_rm_peer() from an ASCONF Delete-IP - sctp_transport_free() RCU-frees it and the chunk is left with a dangling pointer. sctp_assoc_rm_peer() scrubs peer->transmitted and asoc->outqueue.out_chunk_list, but the chunk is on neither. The pointer is not followed while tsn_gap_acked is set. A SACK that reneges on the TSN clears the flag, and the next SACK reaches tchunk->transport->flight_size -= sctp_data_size(tchunk); inside the freed transport. KASAN reports a slab-use-after-free read in sctp_check_transmitted(), freed from sctp_assoc_rm_peer(). Both the removal and the SACKs come from the association peer. Set chunk->transport at the move. The ordinary resend path needs nothing: it reaches its list_move_tail() only after sctp_packet_append_chunk() returned SCTP_XMIT_OK, and __sctp_packet_append_chunk() has rebound the chunk by then. Discovered by XBOW, triaged by Baul Lee <[email protected]>

Published: 8/22/2026, 4:16:30 PM
Last modified: 8/25/2026, 6:18:33 AM

References

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