CVE-2026-68162: Linux kernel · sctp: avoid auth_enable sysctl UAF during netns teardown
Affects Linux kernelSource GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.8 High · fixed in 6.8.0-147.147 : patch Linux kernel soon.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 16:39 UTC
- EPSS
- 0.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 9% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
- Patch
- Available – fixed in 6.8.0-147.147, 6.8.0-1067.70, 6.8.0-1071.79 +26
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 10 Aug 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors
A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.
What to do
Upgrade to a fixed release listed under Affected software.
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinuxpkg:deb/ubuntu/linux?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-awspkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-aws?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-azurepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-azure-fdepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure-fde?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-gcppkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-gcp?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-gkepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-gke?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: sctp: avoid auth_enable sysctl UAF during netns teardown proc_sctp_do_auth() updates the SCTP control socket after changing net.sctp.auth_enable. The handler gets the per-net SCTP state from ctl->data, so an already opened sysctl file can still target a network namespace while that namespace is being torn down. SCTP previously registered its per-net sysctls from sctp_defaults_init(), while the control socket is created later from sctp_ctrlsock_init(). This exposed a window during initialization where auth_enable was writable before net->sctp.ctl_sock existed, and a teardown window where auth_enable stayed writable after inet_ctl_sock_destroy() had released the control socket. Move the per-net SCTP sysctl registration into sctp_ctrlsock_init() after sctp_ctl_sock_init() succeeds, and unregister the sysctl table before destroying the control socket in sctp_ctrlsock_exit(). If sysctl registration fails after the control socket was created, destroy the control socket in the same init path. Make sctp_sysctl_net_unregister() tolerate a missing header and clear the saved pointer so init-error and exit paths can safely share the unregister helper.
References
- ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2026-68162 (opens in a new tab)
- cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-68162 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/f8d5e7846025f4ab15a461235f8ebae9094a361a (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/a50e73488e0bbdd262b3be3c9a1d8dd078382381 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/19573dcddb8819fd68d6cd1f916c1c99c3fa4ff4 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/626bda8cfe43dff19a9833ff6ba055a817b5455c (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/66700c0719675e0e118ae83b2d7168dacd69dd3d (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/be6aae9d1b91c603adb35872d37d40e83daf8758 (opens in a new tab)
- msrc.microsoft.com/csaf/vex/2026/msrc_cve-2026-68162.json (opens in a new tab)
- support.microsoft.com/lifecycle (opens in a new tab)
- first.org/cvss (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8781-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8888-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8889-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8887-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8888-2 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8887-2 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8887-3 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8917-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8918-1 (opens in a new tab)