CVE-2026-98614

Received Received - Intake

SCTP Path Update Livelock in Linux Kernel

Publication date: 2026-10-18

Last updated on: 2026-10-19

Assigner: kernel.org

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: sctp: avoid livelock while updating retransmit path sctp_assoc_update_retran_path() can loop forever when every remaining transport, including retran_path, is SCTP_UNCONFIRMED: the state check runs before the wraparound test, so the loop cannot observe that it has completed a full pass. Fix this by considering a transport only when it is not UNCONFIRMED, then checking whether the walk has returned to retran_path. This makes the full-pass termination independent of the transport state while preserving the existing fallback selection semantics. Also restore the NULL guard around the retran_path assignment. In the all-UNCONFIRMED case there is no eligible replacement transport, and installing NULL would leave later retransmit-path users and the debug print with a NULL path.

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Meta Information

Published

2026-10-18

Last Modified

2026-10-19

Generated

2026-10-19

AI Q&A

2026-10-18

EPSS Evaluated

N/A

NVD

CVE-2026-98614

EUVD

EUVD-2026-103659

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
Linux	Linux	4c47af4d5eb2c2f78f886079a3920a7078a6f0a0
Linux	Linux	4c47af4d5eb2c2f78f886079a3920a7078a6f0a0
Linux	Linux	4c47af4d5eb2c2f78f886079a3920a7078a6f0a0
Linux	Linux	4c47af4d5eb2c2f78f886079a3920a7078a6f0a0
Linux	Linux	4c47af4d5eb2c2f78f886079a3920a7078a6f0a0
Linux	Linux	4c47af4d5eb2c2f78f886079a3920a7078a6f0a0
Linux	Linux	4c47af4d5eb2c2f78f886079a3920a7078a6f0a0
Linux	Linux	4c47af4d5eb2c2f78f886079a3920a7078a6f0a0
Linux	Linux	8ceaec02b17397d12719a282945abc95f8149d9f
Linux	Linux	d2c2bdcdd8c5ce3d2a68aa3353ed1f340c3e500e
Linux	Linux	3.10.106
Linux	Linux	3.12.71
Linux	Linux	3.14

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This vulnerability in the Linux kernel involves a livelock issue in the Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP) when updating the retransmit path. The function sctp_assoc_update_retran_path() could enter an infinite loop if all remaining transports, including the retransmit path, are in an unconfirmed state. The loop fails to detect completion because the state check occurs before the wraparound test, preventing proper termination.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to the Linux kernel's SCTP implementation and may not have direct detection commands. Check kernel logs for SCTP-related errors or warnings using dmesg | grep sctp or journalctl -k | grep sctp. Ensure your kernel version is updated to a patched release.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability could cause a system to hang or become unresponsive due to the infinite loop, leading to denial-of-service conditions. Systems relying on SCTP for network communication may experience crashes or degraded performance if the retransmit path update fails to complete.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability affects network reliability in the Linux kernel's SCTP protocol but does not directly impact compliance with standards like GDPR or HIPAA. It may indirectly affect compliance if network disruptions lead to data processing delays or failures.

Mitigation Strategies

Update your Linux kernel to the latest stable version that includes the fix for CVE-2026-98614. If immediate patching is not possible, consider disabling SCTP if not required, or restrict network access to SCTP services until patched.

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