CVE-2026-72383
CVE-2026-72383 is a security vulnerability in Kernel. O3 Security confirms whether CVE-2026-72383 is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
sctp: fix addr_wq_timer race in sctp_free_addr_wq()
Real-World Exposure
KernelReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Linux packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
sctp: fix addr_wq_timer race in sctp_free_addr_wq()
sctp_free_addr_wq() previously removed addr_wq_timer using timer_delete() while holding addr_wq_lock. However, timer_delete() does not guarantee that a currently running timer handler has completed.
This allows a race with sctp_addr_wq_timeout_handler(), where the handler may still run after addr_waitq has been freed, acquire addr_wq_lock, and access freed memory, leading to a use-after-free.
Fix this by calling timer_shutdown_sync() before taking addr_wq_lock. This guarantees that any in-flight timer handler has finished and prevents the timer from being re-armed during teardown, making subsequent cleanup safe.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐧Linux | Kernel | ≥ 3.7.0&&< 6.18.40 | 6.18.40 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for Kernel. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.
Fix
Update Kernel to 6.18.40 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2026-72383 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 pinpoints whether CVE-2026-72383 is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.
Tailored to CVE-2026-72383. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2026-72383 in your dependencies?
O3 detects CVE-2026-72383 across Linux dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.