Linux: Use After Free
CVE-2026-23184 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8 out of 10. It can be exploited with local access to the system by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. The record lists versions a6050dedb6f1cc23e518e3a132ab74a0aad6df90, 5e8a3d01544282e50d887d76f30d1496a0a53562 as the first without the flaw, so updating Linux to one of those releases or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.14% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Update Linux to a6050dedb6f1cc23e518e3a132ab74a0aad6df90 or 5e8a3d01544282e50d887d76f30d1496a0a53562, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Linux Kernel to 6.18.10 or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 63740349eba78f242bcbf60d5244d7f2b2600853 up to, but not including, a6050dedb6f1cc23e518e3a132ab74a0aad6df90; 63740349eba78f242bcbf60d5244d7f2b2600853 up to, but not including, 5e8a3d01544282e50d887d76f30d1496a0a53562; 6.18 | a6050dedb6f1cc23e518e3a132ab74a0aad6df90, 5e8a3d01544282e50d887d76f30d1496a0a53562 |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | 6.18 up to, but not including, 6.18.10; 6.19 | 6.18.10 |
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- LocalThe attacker needs local access or must trick a user into running something.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Privileges required
- LowA basic user account is enough.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality
- HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
- Integrity
- HighData or code can be modified at will.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by NVD.
| Scoring system | Score | Severity | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.8 | High | CNA |
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.8 | High | NVD |
Official description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: binder: fix UAF in binder_netlink_report() Oneway transactions sent to frozen targets via binder_proc_transaction() return a BR_TRANSACTION_PENDING_FROZEN error but they are still treated as successful since the target is expected to thaw at some point. It is then not safe to access 't' after BR_TRANSACTION_PENDING_FROZEN errors as the transaction could have been consumed by the now thawed target. This is the case for binder_netlink_report() which derreferences 't' after a pending frozen error, as pointed out by the following KASAN report: ================================================================== BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in binder_netlink_report.isra.0+0x694/0x6c8 Read of size 8 at addr ffff00000f98ba38 by task binder-util/522 CPU: 4 UID: 0 PID: 522 Comm: binder-util Not tainted 6.19.0-rc6-00015-gc03e9c42ae8f #1 PREEMPT Hardware name: linux,dummy-virt (DT) Call trace: binder_netlink_report.isra.0+0x694/0x6c8 binder_transaction+0x66e4/0x79b8 binder_thread_write+0xab4/0x4440 binder_ioctl+0x1fd4/0x2940 [...] Allocated by task 522: __kmalloc_cache_noprof+0x17c/0x50c binder_transaction+0x584/0x79b8 binder_thread_write+0xab4/0x4440 binder_ioctl+0x1fd4/0x2940 [...] Freed by task 488: kfree+0x1d0/0x420 binder_free_transaction+0x150/0x234 binder_thread_read+0x2d08/0x3ce4 binder_ioctl+0x488/0x2940 [...] ================================================================== Instead, make a transaction copy so the data can be safely accessed by binder_netlink_report() after a pending frozen error. While here, add a comment about not using t->buffer in binder_netlink_report().
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Use After Free
The product reuses or references memory after it has been freed. At some point afterward, the memory may be allocated again and saved in another pointer, while the original pointer references a location somewhere within the new allocation. Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory belongs to the code that operates on the new pointer.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Choose a language that provides automatic memory management.
- When freeing pointers, be sure to set them to NULL once they are freed. However, the utilization of multiple or complex data structures may lower the usefulness of this strategy.
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Patches and release notes
Recent Use After Free vulnerabilities
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.0 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
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