CVE-2026-98586

What the bug is

Take the association or transport reference before rearming a timer in the timer handlers. The existing code calls mod_timer() before taking the reference needed by the rearmed timer without holding the sock lock. This creates a race with timer cleanup: if the timer is deleted after mod_timer() returns but before the reference is taken, the cleanup path can drop the timer's reference and destroy the transport or association. The timer handler then takes a reference on the already freed object and eventually drops it, causing a refcount underflow. Hold the object before mod_timer() and drop the reference if mod_timer() reports that the timer was already pending in timer handlers. Apply the same ordering to the proto-unreachable path, which can rearm a transport timer outside the timer handlers without holding the sock lock.

Where it lives

The fix touches these files. If the subsystem is one you do not use, the practical exposure is lower, though the package is still the vulnerable one.

net/sctp/input.c
net/sctp/sm_sideeffect.c

What this is

SCTP PROTOCOLMAINTAINERS section matched on net/sctp/ · linux-sctp@vger.kernel.org · Maintained

Kernel module

sctp

Check it on the machine

grep -w CONFIG_IP_SCTP /boot/config-$(uname -r)

Reads the booted kernel's own configuration, on the machine and nowhere else. =y is built in, =m is a module, and an is not set line means the code is not there.

lsmod | grep -w sctp

Prints a line if that module is loaded right now, and nothing if it is not. One that is not loaded can still be loaded later by anything that needs it.

Show whether Debian builds this, per release

Debian builds this as a loadable module. Every release below compiles it as a module on every flavour, so whether the code is in the running kernel depends on whether that module is loaded.

• bookworm, trixie, forky, sidm

m

a loadable module on every flavour - check lsmod, can be blacklisted

Build switch

CONFIG_IP_SCTP

From the configuration Debian publishes for every kernel flavour it builds. It covers only the architectures Debian ships a linux-config package for, and nothing about a kernel you built yourself. Debian's own status above stays authoritative about the source package.MAINTAINERS kbuild Makefiles Debian linux-config packages

Signals

Published

2026-10-18 (today)source

CVSS

no vector published, unrated

Attack vector

not published

EPSS

not scored

CISA KEV

not listedthe KEV catalogue

Debian urgency

not yet assignedsource

Subsystem

net/sctp

Upstream fixes

The versions the CNA records as introducing and fixing this, and the commit for each. source

Introduced	Fixed in	Commit
2.6.12	5.15.222	f7dea7eaea20
2.6.12	6.1.189	f9d929026d48
2.6.12	6.6.158	9d3d39da0544
2.6.12	6.12.112	27c51a9b55b2
2.6.12	6.18.55	d18cb8fd1b6b
2.6.12	7.2.9	35bf3b23c9a8
2.6.12	7.3	cae23ae3f788