CVE-2026-98846
Received Received - Intake

Linux Kernel SCTP RCV_SHUTDOWN Use-After-Free

Publication date: 2026-10-18

Last updated on: 2026-10-18

Assigner: kernel.org

Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: sctp: check RCV_SHUTDOWN after the sendmsg connect wait sctp_wait_for_connect() drops the socket lock while it sleeps. An out-of-the-blue ABORT can then be processed from the socket backlog and unlink the association. If a concurrent shutdown(fd, SHUT_RD) sets RCV_SHUTDOWN, the waiter breaks with err == 0 before checking asoc->base.dead. Its final sctp_association_put() can then free the association, leaving sctp_sendmsg_to_asoc() to continue with a dangling pointer. Check RCV_SHUTDOWN along with the wait error in sctp_sendmsg_to_asoc() before using the association again. The check only accesses the socket, so it needs no additional association reference. Return the existing -ESRCH so that sctp_sendmsg() skips freeing a new association that may already have been destroyed. Keep sctp_wait_for_connect() unchanged to preserve its behavior for the connect() caller.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-10-18
Last Modified
2026-10-18
Generated
2026-10-18
AI Q&A
2026-10-18
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-98846
EUVD
EUVD-2026-103786

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 5 associated CPEs
Vendor Product Version / Range
Linux Linux 668c9beb9020d5834ee9e43c208190a07d2b1928
Linux Linux 668c9beb9020d5834ee9e43c208190a07d2b1928
Linux Linux 668c9beb9020d5834ee9e43c208190a07d2b1928
Linux Linux 668c9beb9020d5834ee9e43c208190a07d2b1928
Linux Linux 4.16

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Exploitability

CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

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Executive Summary

This vulnerability in the Linux kernel involves a race condition in the SCTP protocol implementation. A flaw in sctp_wait_for_connect() allows an out-of-the-blue ABORT message to unlink an association while a concurrent shutdown sets RCV_SHUTDOWN. This can lead to a dangling pointer being used by sctp_sendmsg_to_asoc(), potentially causing memory corruption or crashes.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability could allow an attacker to cause a denial-of-service (DoS) condition by crashing the system or corrupting memory. It may also lead to unexpected behavior in applications using SCTP sockets, potentially causing data corruption or application failures.

Mitigation Strategies

Update the Linux kernel to the latest stable version that includes the fix for this vulnerability. Monitor kernel security advisories and apply patches promptly.

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