System compromise via stale SCTP transport pointer
Published Aug 22, 2026 · Updated Aug 25, 2026
Use-after-free in the Linux kernel SCTP implementation allows remote attackers to crash the system or execute code via crafted SCTP traffic. sctp_make_heartbeat_ack() stores an unreferenced transport in a queued control chunk, while sctp_assoc_rm_peer() clears only out_chunk_list pointers before RCU freeing. Exploitation requires src_out_of_asoc_ok, queued HEARTBEAT ACK suppression, peer removal, and a later ASCONF_ACK that transmits the dangling pointer.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in the Linux kernel SCTP implementation allows remote attackers to crash the system or execute code via crafted SCTP traffic. sctp_make_heartbeat_ack() stores an unreferenced transport in a queued control chunk, while sctp_assoc_rm_peer() clears only out_chunk_list pointers before RCU freeing. Exploitation requires src_out_of_asoc_ok, queued HEARTBEAT ACK suppression, peer removal, and a later ASCONF_ACK that transmits the dangling pointer.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-74688
- Published
- Aug 22, 2026
- Updated
- Aug 25, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- CWE-825, T1499
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Aug 22, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 25, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=3.1
- Affected versionversion=8a07eb0a50aebc8c95478d49c28c7f8419a26cef <18d704bdd809377dfd81a3c2f42426763b5da227
- Affected versionversion=8a07eb0a50aebc8c95478d49c28c7f8419a26cef <4d6b9cac6df5e0cfef1a66b3edd7aebdb9e4b7e7
- Affected versionversion=8a07eb0a50aebc8c95478d49c28c7f8419a26cef <6160e756db81d6cb63e3e2952efcf6c5134be385
- Affected versionversion=8a07eb0a50aebc8c95478d49c28c7f8419a26cef <8de65194a04d2552cd39b6c67d942d490f22d174
- Affected versionversion=8a07eb0a50aebc8c95478d49c28c7f8419a26cef <936658ec41c28c397ef390140e02d4c91ade92f0
- Affected versionversion=8a07eb0a50aebc8c95478d49c28c7f8419a26cef <c9158ceaf27780ef64534ad72f44ffde3f8ccc49
- Affected versionversion=8a07eb0a50aebc8c95478d49c28c7f8419a26cef <dbb3f418a8665ffb0514e1a9520ab6a1c5d4d886
- Affected versionversion=8a07eb0a50aebc8c95478d49c28c7f8419a26cef <fad4766a74220fe579c6fcaa10ba01c23529814f
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Public exploit references
No public exploit references are available in this record.
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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