# CVE-2026-72413: sctp: fix err_chunk memory leaks in INIT handling

Status: published. Published: 2026-08-15. Updated: 2026-11-06.

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

sctp: fix err_chunk memory leaks in INIT handling

When sctp_verify_init() encounters unrecognized parameters, it allocates an
err_chunk to report them. However, this chunk is leaked in several code
paths:

1. In sctp_sf_do_5_1B_init(), if security_sctp_assoc_request() fails after
   sctp_verify_init() has populated err_chunk, the function returns
   immediately without freeing it.

2. In sctp_sf_do_unexpected_init(), the same leak occurs on the
   security_sctp_assoc_request() failure path.

3. In sctp_sf_do_unexpected_init(), on the success path after copying
   unrecognized parameters to the INIT-ACK, the function returns without
   freeing err_chunk, unlike sctp_sf_do_5_1B_init() which properly frees
   it.

Fix all three leaks by adding sctp_chunk_free(err_chunk) calls before
returning in the error paths and on the success path in
sctp_sf_do_unexpected_init().

## Remediation

No remediation reported in collected sources

## Affected products and versions

- Linux / Linux: ≥ 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2; < a8e6a839c0e7ca1da752faaab51e2eafb17483a4 (affected, git); ≥ 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2; < 43ddbcdc0ed74a8fba4aff5e623ace8135411b93 (affected, git); ≥ 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2; < 6acedac7a14af71cfe25024ead28e16a070899e4 (affected, git); ≥ 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2; < 1cae40d423a2042c7970f29c00028951ec20db8a (affected, git); ≥ 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2; < 94f55994e19e8f0676990b9d5015b58ab6a97e00 (affected, git); ≥ 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2; < 9f58a0a4d6c2ed5d341bba64f058f15d1b0c36f2 (affected, git). Source: CNA: Linux
- Linux / Linux: 2.6.12 (affected); ≥ 0; < 2.6.12 (unaffected, semver); ≥ 6.1.189; ≤ 6.1.* (unaffected, semver); ≥ 6.6.158; ≤ 6.6.* (unaffected, semver); ≥ 6.12.111; ≤ 6.12.* (unaffected, semver); ≥ 6.18.53; ≤ 6.18.* (unaffected, semver); ≥ 7.1.5; ≤ 7.1.* (unaffected, semver); ≥ 7.2; ≤ * (unaffected, original_commit_for_fix). Source: CNA: Linux

## Severity and prioritization

- CISA KEV: No listing in collected sources

- EPSS: 0.21% as of 2026-11-06; percentile 11.44%

- SSVC: exploitation none; automatable no; technical impact partial; source ADP: CISA-ADP

- Weaknesses: Not reported

## Exploit evidence

No exploit evidence in collected sources. This is not proof of no exploitation.

## References

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a8e6a839c0e7ca1da752faaab51e2eafb17483a4 (CNA: Linux)

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/43ddbcdc0ed74a8fba4aff5e623ace8135411b93 (CNA: Linux)

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6acedac7a14af71cfe25024ead28e16a070899e4 (CNA: Linux)

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1cae40d423a2042c7970f29c00028951ec20db8a (CNA: Linux)

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/94f55994e19e8f0676990b9d5015b58ab6a97e00 (CNA: Linux)

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9f58a0a4d6c2ed5d341bba64f058f15d1b0c36f2 (CNA: Linux)

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1cae40d423a2042c7970f29c00028951ec20db8a (416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67)

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/43ddbcdc0ed74a8fba4aff5e623ace8135411b93 (416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67)

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6acedac7a14af71cfe25024ead28e16a070899e4 (416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67)

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/94f55994e19e8f0676990b9d5015b58ab6a97e00 (416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67)

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9f58a0a4d6c2ed5d341bba64f058f15d1b0c36f2 (416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67)

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a8e6a839c0e7ca1da752faaab51e2eafb17483a4 (416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67)

## Provenance

- CNA: Linux: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-72413; retrieved 2026-11-06; source updated 2026-11-06

- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-72413; retrieved 2026-11-06; source updated 2026-11-06

- FIRST EPSS: https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-72413; retrieved 2026-11-06; source updated Not reported

Revision: a8c4d75f860e40404743ef5b562a64176521b1d61b62208c5047a7fe2fb05d2e

Canonical: https://y2.dev/cve/CVE-2026-72413

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