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VulnerabilityPublished Updated

CVE-2026-98130: Linux kernel · sctp: fix a TOCTOU race in SCTP_CMD_TIMER_START

Affects Linux kernelSource CVE Database V5

0

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 8.1 High · fixed in e42ba56281ca3ae2dcb3558bebee9a1c9a4831d9 : patch Linux kernel soon.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 13:47 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score
8.1High
How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.
EPSS
0.4% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 39% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch
Available – fixed in e42ba56281ca3ae2dcb3558bebee9a1c9a4831d9, cbf2df9aac4202f9fb0b361a7fe8c79b29fad92c, 2188569e7e1b0bc3f3b557dc97ab7a02befc11c8 +8
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Exploitation evidence

  1. Disclosed: evidence found.

    CVE published 25 Sep 2026

  2. Detectable: no evidence on record.

    No public nuclei template indexed

  3. Weaponised: no evidence on record.

    No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB

  4. Exploited in the wild: no evidence on record.

    Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation

  5. Observed by OffSeq 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

ProductAffectedFixed in
LinuxLinuxAffected
  • >=4.19.126 <4.20
  • >=5.4.44 <5.5
  • >=5.6.16 <5.7
Fixed in
  • e42ba56281ca3ae2dcb3558bebee9a1c9a4831d9
  • cbf2df9aac4202f9fb0b361a7fe8c79b29fad92c
  • 2188569e7e1b0bc3f3b557dc97ab7a02befc11c8
  • 3205a20f837f5b1f009427ac3d9f706bf8a6fbec
  • 755d70ca845fd9b87c7b338ae6ae832b08cd0005
  • 09e7f9290d63178f56095d5c18fb9f9470153db5
  • 5.7
  • 5.5
  • 4.20
  • 3d698d1e6c8bc41e3e1707777a016f1bdd07842d
  • 00b841bac10230c557be6b38efc48508198fe23e
LinuxLinuxAffected
  • =5.7
Fixed in–

AI-suggested

A fix is available and has been incorporated into Linux kernel versions 4.20, 5.5, 5.7, and later. Users and administrators should upgrade to these fixed versions or later to remediate the vulnerability. Since this is a kernel-level issue, applying the official kernel updates from trusted sources is the recommended mitigation. No additional mitigations are indicated by the vendor advisory.

Description

CVE-2026-98130 is a high-severity use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's SCTP implementation caused by a TOCTOU race condition in the SCTP_CMD_TIMER_START handler. The flaw arises because the timer state is checked before rearming without proper synchronization, potentially leading to an unbalanced association reference count and use-after-free during association teardown. This issue affects multiple Linux kernel versions prior to 4.20, 5.5, 5.7, and specifically version 5.7. The vulnerability has been fixed in Linux kernel versions 4.20, 5.5, 5.7, and others as noted by commit hashes. No known exploits in the wild have been reported.

References

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