diff --git a/Lib/test/test_zoneinfo/test_zoneinfo.py b/Lib/test/test_zoneinfo/test_zoneinfo.py
index 41ba92342ff2cbd..659af400e71994e 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_zoneinfo/test_zoneinfo.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_zoneinfo/test_zoneinfo.py
@@ -1664,6 +1664,28 @@ class EvilZoneInfo(self.klass):
         self.assertEqual(str(zone2), key)
         self.assertIsNot(zone2, zone1)
 
+    def test_strong_cache_reentrant_clear(self):
+        # gh-142782: a key whose __eq__ clears the cache during a strong-cache
+        # lookup must not cause a use-after-free.
+        klass = self.klass
+
+        class Stringy(str):
+            def __new__(cls, value):
+                self = super().__new__(cls, value)
+                self.cleared = False
+                return self
+            def __eq__(self, other):
+                if not self.cleared:
+                    self.cleared = True
+                    klass.clear_cache(only_keys=(self,))
+                return super().__eq__(other)
+            __hash__ = str.__hash__
+
+        zone1 = klass(Stringy("America/Los_Angeles"))
+        zone2 = klass(Stringy("America/Los_Angeles"))
+        self.assertEqual(str(zone1), "America/Los_Angeles")
+        self.assertEqual(str(zone2), "America/Los_Angeles")
+
 
 class CZoneInfoCacheTest(ZoneInfoCacheTest):
     module = c_zoneinfo
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2026-10-15-09-30-00.gh-issue-142782.z1Uaf7.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2026-10-15-09-30-00.gh-issue-142782.z1Uaf7.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000000..d68f9f5a5b8903b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2026-10-15-09-30-00.gh-issue-142782.z1Uaf7.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Fix a use-after-free in :class:`zoneinfo.ZoneInfo` when a key's ``__eq__``
+clears the cache during a strong-cache lookup.
diff --git a/Modules/_zoneinfo.c b/Modules/_zoneinfo.c
index 46ab3499e003542..eb59090e584258e 100644
--- a/Modules/_zoneinfo.c
+++ b/Modules/_zoneinfo.c
@@ -103,6 +103,8 @@ typedef struct {
     PyObject *TIMEDELTA_CACHE;
     PyObject *ZONEINFO_WEAK_CACHE;
     StrongCacheNode *ZONEINFO_STRONG_CACHE;
+    // Bumped on every strong-cache mutation (gh-142782).
+    size_t strong_cache_version;
 
     _ttinfo NO_TTINFO;
 } zoneinfo_state;
@@ -2434,19 +2436,28 @@ remove_from_strong_cache(zoneinfo_state *state, StrongCacheNode *node)
  * root may be NULL, indicating an empty cache.
  */
 static StrongCacheNode *
-find_in_strong_cache(const StrongCacheNode *const root, PyObject *const key)
+find_in_strong_cache(zoneinfo_state *state, PyObject *const key)
 {
-    const StrongCacheNode *node = root;
+    // A key's __eq__ can re-enter and clear the cache during the comparison,
+    // freeing nodes; treat such a mutation as a miss (gh-142782).
+    size_t version = state->strong_cache_version;
+    const StrongCacheNode *node = state->ZONEINFO_STRONG_CACHE;
     while (node != NULL) {
-        int rv = PyObject_RichCompareBool(key, node->key, Py_EQ);
+        PyObject *node_key = Py_NewRef(node->key);
+        const StrongCacheNode *next = node->next;
+        int rv = PyObject_RichCompareBool(key, node_key, Py_EQ);
+        Py_DECREF(node_key);
         if (rv < 0) {
             return NULL;
         }
+        if (state->strong_cache_version != version) {
+            return NULL;
+        }
         if (rv) {
             return (StrongCacheNode *)node;
         }
 
-        node = node->next;
+        node = next;
     }
 
     return NULL;
@@ -2465,12 +2476,12 @@ eject_from_strong_cache(zoneinfo_state *state, const PyTypeObject *const type,
     }
 
     _Py_CRITICAL_SECTION_ASSERT_OBJECT_LOCKED(state->ZoneInfoType);
-    StrongCacheNode *cache = state->ZONEINFO_STRONG_CACHE;
-    StrongCacheNode *node = find_in_strong_cache(cache, key);
+    StrongCacheNode *node = find_in_strong_cache(state, key);
     if (node != NULL) {
         remove_from_strong_cache(state, node);
 
         strong_cache_node_free(node);
+        state->strong_cache_version++;
     }
     else if (PyErr_Occurred()) {
         return -1;
@@ -2522,8 +2533,7 @@ zone_from_strong_cache(zoneinfo_state *state, const PyTypeObject *const type,
     }
 
     _Py_CRITICAL_SECTION_ASSERT_OBJECT_LOCKED(state->ZoneInfoType);
-    StrongCacheNode *cache = state->ZONEINFO_STRONG_CACHE;
-    StrongCacheNode *node = find_in_strong_cache(cache, key);
+    StrongCacheNode *node = find_in_strong_cache(state, key);
 
     if (node != NULL) {
         StrongCacheNode **root = &(state->ZONEINFO_STRONG_CACHE);
@@ -2555,6 +2565,7 @@ update_strong_cache(zoneinfo_state *state, const PyTypeObject *const type,
     }
     StrongCacheNode **root = &(state->ZONEINFO_STRONG_CACHE);
     move_strong_cache_node_to_front(state, root, new_node);
+    state->strong_cache_version++;
 
     StrongCacheNode *node = new_node->next;
     for (size_t i = 1; i < ZONEINFO_STRONG_CACHE_MAX_SIZE; ++i) {
@@ -2587,6 +2598,7 @@ clear_strong_cache(zoneinfo_state *state, const PyTypeObject *const type)
 
     strong_cache_free(state->ZONEINFO_STRONG_CACHE);
     state->ZONEINFO_STRONG_CACHE = NULL;
+    state->strong_cache_version++;
 }
 
 static PyObject *