Linux Kernel SCTP Vulnerability in Socket Management

CVE-2026-98846

What is CVE-2026-98846?

This vulnerability in the Linux kernel affects the Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP) implementation, specifically during the management of socket connections. The issue arises as the function sctp_wait_for_connect() releases the socket lock while waiting, allowing an unexpected ABORT message to be processed. If a concurrent shutdown is initiated, this can lead to the improper management of associations, potentially freeing a pointer that is still in use. Consequently, this could lead to memory corruption or the use of dangling pointers within the SCTP layer. A fix has been implemented to check the RCV_SHUTDOWN flag during socket usage to prevent freeing associations that may still be active.

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