Description
net/sctp/socket.c in the Stream Control Transmission Protocol (sctp) implementation in the Linux kernel before 2.6.26.4 does not verify that the SCTP-AUTH extension is enabled before proceeding with SCTP-AUTH API functions, which allows attackers to cause a denial of service (NULL pointer dereference and panic) via vectors that result in calls to (1) sctp_setsockopt_auth_chunk, (2) sctp_setsockopt_hmac_ident, (3) sctp_setsockopt_auth_key, (4) sctp_setsockopt_active_key, (5) sctp_setsockopt_del_key, (6) sctp_getsockopt_maxburst, (7) sctp_getsockopt_active_key, (8) sctp_getsockopt_peer_auth_chunks, or (9) sctp_getsockopt_local_auth_chunks.
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
Debian
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 4.0 | linux-2.6.24 | 2.6.24-6~etchnhalf.5 | DSA-1636-1 |
Red Hat
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Hat MRG 1 | kernel-rt +9 | 2.6.24.7-81.el5rt | RHSA-2008:0857 |
Advisories 2
- DSA-1636-1 linux-2.6.24 - several vulnerabilities Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
- RHSA-2008:0857 Red Hat Security Advisory: kernel security and bug fix update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Nov 22, 2025
References
- http://www.trapkit.de/advisories/TKADV2008-007.txt
- 32190 third-party-advisory
- 32393 third-party-advisory
- DSA-1636 vendor-advisory
- 31121 vdb-entry
- [oss-security] 20080826 Re: CVE request: kernel: sctp: fix potential panics in the SCTP-AUTH API mailing-list
- [oss-security] 20080826 Re: CVE request: kernel: sctp: fix potential panics in the SCTP-AUTH API mailing-list
- 31881 third-party-advisory
- USN-659-1 vendor-advisory
- linux-kernel-sctpauthapi-dos(45189) vdb-entry
- SUSE-SA:2008:053 vendor-advisory
- RHSA-2008:0857 vendor-advisory
- [oss-security] 20080825 CVE request: kernel: sctp: fix potential panics in the SCTP-AUTH API mailing-list
- http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v2.6/ChangeLog-2.6.26.4
- [linux-kernel] 20080823 [GIT]: Networking mailing-list
- http://git.kernel.org/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=5e739d1752aca4e8f3e794d431503bfca3162df4
- 1020854 vdb-entry
- 4210 third-party-advisory
- 20080911 [TKADV2008-007] Linux Kernel SCTP-AUTH API Information Disclosure Vulnerability and NULL Pointer Dereferences mailing-list
- [linux-netdev] 20080821 [PATCH] sctp: fix potential panics in the SCTP-AUTH API. mailing-list
- [oss-security] 20080926 Re: CVE-2008-4113 update: kernel: sctp: fix random memory dereference with SCTP_HMAC_IDENT option mailing-list