Critical Linux Kernel Vulnerability (CVE-2026-64564) Exposes Systems to Root Access and Container Escapes
An 18-year-old use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP) implementation, identified as CVE-2026-64564 and dubbed 'SCTPhantom,' has been discovered. This flaw allows local users to escalate privileges to root and potentially escape containerized environments. The vulnerability has existed since 2008 and affects all kernel versions from 2.6.25 onwards. Tencent's Zhuque Lab demonstrated successful exploitation on distributions including Debian 13, Ubuntu 24.04, Rocky Linux 9, RHEL 9, and OpenCloudOS. The issue arises from improper handling of delete requests in SCTP's dynamic address reconfiguration feature, leading to use-after-free conditions. The vulnerability was publicly disclosed on August 6, 2026, with patches released in stable kernel versions 7.1.6, 6.18.42, 6.12.101, and 6.6.148 on August 3, 2026. Organizations are urged to update their systems promptly to mitigate potential exploitation risks.
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