Stack buffer overflow in SCTP error cause parsing in inet_drv allows remote VM crash
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Attack requirements
- None
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- Low · None · High
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 4.0 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.
Summary
Stack-based Buffer Overflow vulnerability in Erlang OTP erts (inet_drv) allows an unauthenticated remote attacker to crash the BEAM VM by sending a crafted SCTP ERROR chunk. The sctp_parse_error_chunk function in erts/emulator/drivers/common/inet_drv.c parses SCTP ERROR chunks and writes cause codes into a fixed-size stack-allocated ErlDrvTermData spec[] array without checking bounds. A remote attacker who has established an SCTP association to a listening port can send a single crafted SCTP ERROR chunk containing enough cause codes to overflow the stack buffer, crashing the VM. The attacker can only write 16-bit values interleaved with a fixed tag, so the overflow does not provide a controlled return address, limiting exploitation to Denial of Service. A crafted SCTP ERROR chunk may also leak bits and pieces of Erlang VM memory into the received error packet observed by the Erlang process. Such data is already readable by the user running the Erlang VM, so the disclosure scope is limited. This issue affects OTP from OTP 17.0 before OTP 27.3.4.13, OTP 28.5.0.2, and OTP 29.0.2, corresponding to erts from 6.0 before 15.2.7.9, 16.4.0.2, and 17.0.2. Whether OTP before OTP 17.0, corresponding to erts before 6.0, is affected is unknown.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- Yes
- Technical impact
- Partial
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erlang | OTP | 17.0 and later | — | No fix listed | CNA |
| Erlang | OTP | 6.0 and later | — | No fix listed | CNA |
- OTP VendorErlang Affected 17.0 and later Fixed in — No fix listed CNA
- OTP VendorErlang Affected 6.0 and later Fixed in — No fix listed CNA
CPE configurations NVD · 2
Remediation
Red Hat 1 advisory
- RHSA-2026:63160 Released 2026-09-03 · Red Hat rating ImportantRed Hat Hardened Images RPMs bug fix and enhancement update
- Red Hat Hardened Images erlang27-27.3.4.17-1.hum1@aarch64, erlang27-27.3.4.17-1.hum1@src, erlang27-27.3.4.17-1.hum1@x86_64 +47
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Important. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Hardened Images | Fixed | RHSA-2026:63160 |
Not affected: 3 products
- Red Hat OpenStack Platform 16.2
- Red Hat OpenStack Platform 17.1
- Red Hat OpenStack Platform 18.0
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-49759
References
More Erlang/otp vulnerabilities
- TI-2025-23504 Erlang/OTP SSH Vulnerable to Pre-Authentication RCE KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 10.0
- TI-2023-26623 The SSH transport protocol with certain OpenSSH extensions, found in OpenSSH before 9.6… CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 5.9
- TI-2017-14604 The Erlang otp TLS server answers with different TLS alerts to different error types in… CVSS 3.0MEDIUM 5.9
- TI-2022-17230 In Erlang/OTP before 23.3.4.15, 24.x before 24.3.4.2, and 25.x before 25.0.2, there is a… CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2016-08327 An issue was discovered in Erlang/OTP 18.x. CVSS 3.0CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2026-42391 Denial of service via exponential certificate policy tree growth in path validation CVSS 4.0HIGH 8.7
Sources
- CVE-2026-49759 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-49759 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- CVE-2026-49759 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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