Missing SCTP chunk length check lets peers hang Linux kernel
Key facts
- Attack vector
- —
- Privileges required
- —
- User interaction
- —
- Attack complexity
- —
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- —
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 7 without a fix
No CVSS vector from any source. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.
Summary
The Linux kernel SCTP inqueue parser accepts chunks whose declared length is shorter than the four-byte generic SCTP header. A remote SCTP peer that has established an association can send a zero-length ASCONF chunk when ASCONF and SCTP-AUTH are enabled, and the parser then returns the same malformed chunk repeatedly, which locks up the receive softirq. The attack needs no application credentials or shared SCTP AUTH key.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-10-30
Description from the CNA
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: sctp: validate chunk length in the inqueue parser SCTP chunks always include a four-byte generic header, but sctp_inq_pop() currently accepts shorter declared lengths. A zero-length chunk leaves chunk_end at the current header. When ASCONF is covered by the association's SCTP-AUTH policy, sctp_assoc_bh_rcv() can continue before the state machine performs its normal chunk-length check. sctp_inq_pop() then returns the same malformed chunk repeatedly and the receive softirq can lock up. A remote SCTP peer can trigger this after establishing an association on a kernel built with CONFIG_IP_SCTP and configured with net.sctp.addip_enable=1 and net.sctp.auth_enable=1. The reproducer did not require application credentials, a shared SCTP AUTH key, or net.sctp.addip_noauth_enable=1. On commit f967455fb2a5 ("seg6: reset IP6CB after IPv6 decapsulation"), one zero-length ASCONF caused repeated watchdog soft-lockup reports in a two-vCPU KVM guest. All 3 pre-trigger health probes succeeded, while 36 of 37 post-trigger probes failed. With this change, all 37 post-trigger probes succeeded and no equivalent soft-lockup signature appeared. Reject chunks shorter than the generic SCTP header at the shared inqueue parser boundary. Mark the packet for discard before either caller can continue processing it, while preserving the four-byte generic minimum. Declared-length 1 through 4 controls and kernel-generated ASCONF traffic remained healthy. The patched sctp_hello selftest passed for IPv4 and IPv6. The complete private reproducer and validation evidence are available directly to maintainers on request.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 2.6.24 and later | 5.10.273, 5.15.224, 6.1.191, 6.6.161, 6.12.115, 6.18.59, 7.2.13, 7.3 | Patch available | CNA |
- Linux VendorLinux Affected 2.6.24 and later Fixed in 5.10.273, 5.15.224, 6.1.191, 6.6.161, 6.12.115, 6.18.59, 7.2.13, 7.3 Patch available CNA
Remediation
Fixed Linux kernel versions are 5.10.273, 5.15.224, 6.1.191, 6.6.161, 6.12.115, 6.18.59, 7.2.13 and 7.3. Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 has no fix planned, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7, 8, 9 and 10 and Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 and 5 have no fix available.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-10-30
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.10.273, 5.15.224, 6.1.191, 6.6.161, 6.12.115, 6.18.59, 7.2.13, 7.3
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 | Affected | No fix planned: Out of support scope |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 5 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
Timeline
- 2026-10-28 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-99128
- 2026-10-28 Alias added: GHSA-c382-phc9-mxqc
- 2026-10-29 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-29 CVSS score added · Red Hat
- 2026-10-30 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-30 Fix available: Linux/[email protected], Linux/[email protected], Linux/Linux@5a7ee52589dae36c93dc64d7a97c5ded84618572 +7 · CNA
- 2026-10-30 5 new references · CNA
References
Other 8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/cc4a4f1d6b6d725438dc37b97f03d95ed9feb63f
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b0dbd53b242609c88e81b0a49093bdbef5d5a418
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d28ea1a62e27210d8ea3cf496dfae85dbdd7b84f
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5a7ee52589dae36c93dc64d7a97c5ded84618572
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e0fb7fe180488a5afa2e91509ea838e8df8cb771
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/40507f59f230dcf60ae13cb48d34f8c6e9f40659
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9ac57e4c62e93c287b36080e5da3645690549990
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6cfc1b90cb86f4aabc69fb8e30128e07e2cdfa3a
More Linux vulnerabilities
- TI-2025-26358 tls: fix handling of zero-length records on the rx_list KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2026-38352 netfilter: bridge: make ebt_snat ARP rewrite writable KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2021-02452 Incorrect authorization in Ubuntu linux kernel KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2013-05264 The (1) get_user and (2) put_user API functions in the Linux kernel before 3.5.5 on the… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2022-00125 Integer overflow in kernel KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
- TI-2013-01864 The perf_swevent_init function in kernel/events/core.c in the Linux kernel before 3.8.9… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
Sources
- CVE-2026-99128 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-99128 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-c382-phc9-mxqc · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-99128 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences