Critical severity · published Jun 25, 2026
CVE-2026-53224
sctp: validate embedded INIT chunk and address list lengths in cookie
9.1
CVSS
0.5%
EPSS
No
On KEV
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
sctp: validate embedded INIT chunk and address list lengths in cookie
sctp_unpack_cookie() only checked that the embedded INIT chunk length
did not exceed the remaining cookie payload, but did not ensure that the
INIT chunk is large enough to contain a complete INIT header.
A malformed COOKIE_ECHO can therefore carry a truncated INIT chunk whose
length field is smaller than sizeof(struct sctp_init_chunk). Later,
sctp_process_init() accesses INIT parameters unconditionally, which may
lead to out-of-bounds reads.
In addition, raw_addr_list_len is not fully validated against the
remaining cookie payload. When cookie authentication is disabled, an
attacker can supply an oversized raw_addr_list_len and cause
sctp_raw_to_bind_addrs() to read beyond the end of the cookie. The
address parser also lacks sufficient bounds checks for parameter headers
and lengths, allowing malformed address parameters to trigger
out-of-bounds reads.
Fix this by:
- requiring the embedded INIT chunk length to be at least sizeof(struct
sctp_init_chunk);
- validating that the INIT chunk and raw address list together fit
within the cookie payload;
- verifying sufficient data exists for each address parameter header and
payload before parsing it.
Note that sctp_verify_init() must be called after sctp_unpack_cookie()
and before sctp_process_init() when cookie authentication is disabled.
This will be addressed in a separate patch.
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
High
Scope
Unchanged
Exploitation
Is it being used?
Exploit prediction (EPSS)0.5% · higher than 45% of CVEs
Exploited in the wildNo evidence yet
CISA KEVNot listed
Ransomware campaign useNot known
Affected products
Which versions
KE
Kernel · Linux
2.6.12.1 before 6.18.36; 6.19 before 7.0.13; 2.6.12; 2.6.12; 2.6.12; 2.6.12; +8 more · source: NVD
LI
Linux · Linux
1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 before dd75066882ecc4ec8df3f5384b4b9fa9579be8f0; 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 before 29ab56e7660b6f849c10c46e87e085649df751eb; 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 before 7560afb8cddafd829e709d7ea09230e45a825557; 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 before 512a9bb77c04ac9927648ea58af617e472be96e6; 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 before 6f4c80a2a7e6d06753b89a578b710a2499a5e62b; 2.6.12 · source: vendor
References
NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-53224
CVE.org
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-53224
git.kernel.org
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/29ab56e7660b6f849c10c46e87e085649df751eb
Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/512a9bb77c04ac9927648ea58af617e472be96e6
Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6f4c80a2a7e6d06753b89a578b710a2499a5e62b
Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7560afb8cddafd829e709d7ea09230e45a825557
git.kernel.org
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/dd75066882ecc4ec8df3f5384b4b9fa9579be8f0
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