# Alpine Linux patches OpenSSL, musl, zlib across four stable branches

> **Key takeaway:** Alpine Linux released security updates for versions 3.21.9, 3.22.7, 3.23.7, and 3.24.3, fixing multiple CVEs in OpenSSL, musl, zlib, and PHP.

**Published:** 2026-10-21T00:00:00+00:00 
**Source:** Alpine Linux Releases & Security 
**Category:** distro-news 
**Canonical URL:** https://fosswire.org/news/alpine-linux-patches-openssl-musl-zlib-across-four-stable-br.html 

## Summary
The Alpine Linux project shipped synchronized security updates across all four maintained stable branches. The releases address a compromised eMudhra intermediate CA through updated ca-certificates, a musl libc vulnerability, and numerous OpenSSL CVEs from the September 29, 2026 advisory. Branches 3.23 and 3.24 additionally include PHP security fixes for versions 8.3 through 8.5.

## Components patched in this release
- **ca-certificates**: Updated to address the eMudhra intermediate CA compromise
- **musl**: CVE-2026-107891 patched
- **OpenSSL**: Multiple CVEs fixed — CVE-2026-35189, CVE-2026-54872, CVE-2026-54875, CVE-2026-72897, CVE-2026-75804, CVE-2026-75805, CVE-2026-75806, CVE-2026-77696, CVE-2026-84782, CVE-2026-84784; CVE-2026-42772 and CVE-2026-54873 excluded from 3.21.9
- **zlib**: CVE-2026-85091 patched
- **PHP 8.3–8.5**: CVE-2026-109618 and CVE-2026-109619 fixed in 3.23 and 3.24 branches only

## Why it matters
Alpine's musl-based, container-focused distribution is widely used in Docker images and embedded deployments, making these coordinated multi-branch updates significant for supply-chain security.