CVE-2026-72242

Received Received - Intake

SELinux SCTP Socket Dereference in Linux Kernel

Publication date: 2026-08-15

Last updated on: 2026-08-23

Assigner: kernel.org

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: selinux: avoid sk_socket dereference in selinux_sctp_bind_connect() selinux_sctp_bind_connect() dereferences sk->sk_socket to pass a struct socket * to selinux_socket_bind() and selinux_socket_connect_helper(). However, when the hook is invoked from the ASCONF softirq path (sctp_process_asconf), there is no file reference guaranteeing that sk->sk_socket is non-NULL. The setsockopt callers (bindx, connectx, set_primary, sendmsg connect) hold a file reference and are not affected. Both selinux_socket_bind() and selinux_socket_connect_helper() immediately resolve sock->sk, never using the struct socket * for anything else. Refactor the inner logic into helpers that take a struct sock * directly so that selinux_sctp_bind_connect() never needs to touch sk->sk_socket at all.

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

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Meta Information

Published

2026-08-15

Last Modified

2026-08-23

Generated

2026-09-04

AI Q&A

2026-08-15

EPSS Evaluated

2026-09-03

NVD

CVE-2026-72242

EUVD

EUVD-2026-59141

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
linux	linux_kernel	*

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This is a Linux kernel vulnerability where selinux_sctp_bind_connect() incorrectly dereferences sk->sk_socket in the ASCONF softirq path. The function tries to access a struct socket pointer through the socket structure, but this pointer may be NULL when called from certain contexts like sctp_process_asconf, leading to potential NULL pointer dereference issues.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to the Linux kernel's SELinux SCTP handling. Detection requires checking kernel logs for SCTP-related SELinux errors or kernel crashes. Use commands like dmesg | grep -i sctp or journalctl -k | grep -i sctp to review kernel messages for SCTP-related issues.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability could cause kernel crashes or instability when processing SCTP ASCONF operations in systems using SELinux. It may lead to denial-of-service conditions if exploited, though it requires specific conditions to trigger and does not directly allow privilege escalation or data access.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability does not directly affect compliance with GDPR, HIPAA, or similar standards. It is a Linux kernel issue related to SELinux and SCTP socket handling, which could lead to potential security risks but does not inherently violate compliance requirements.

Mitigation Strategies

Update the Linux kernel to the latest patched version. If immediate patching is not possible, disable SELinux temporarily or restrict SCTP traffic via firewall rules until the kernel is updated.

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