Linux: Double Free
CVE-2026-43097 is a high-severity double 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 21bc8e0ba5c2a081b0a2808c976d4c9dbddf1e48, b6422dff0e518245019233432b6bccfc30b73e2f 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 0.12% 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 21bc8e0ba5c2a081b0a2808c976d4c9dbddf1e48 or b6422dff0e518245019233432b6bccfc30b73e2f, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Linux Kernel to 6.19.14 or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | bcce8c74f1ce1e2731ac0261287897e3768767d8 up to, but not including, 21bc8e0ba5c2a081b0a2808c976d4c9dbddf1e48; bcce8c74f1ce1e2731ac0261287897e3768767d8 up to, but not including, b6422dff0e518245019233432b6bccfc30b73e2f; 6.19 | 21bc8e0ba5c2a081b0a2808c976d4c9dbddf1e48, b6422dff0e518245019233432b6bccfc30b73e2f |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | 6.19 up to, but not including, 6.19.14; 7.0 | 6.19.14 |
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.
Official description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: PCI: hv: Fix double ida_free in hv_pci_probe error path If hv_pci_probe() fails after storing the domain number in hbus->bridge->domain_nr, there is a call to free this domain_nr via pci_bus_release_emul_domain_nr(), however, during cleanup, the bridge release callback pci_release_host_bridge_dev() also frees the domain_nr causing ida_free to be called on same ID twice and triggering following warning: ida_free called for id=28971 which is not allocated. WARNING: lib/idr.c:594 at ida_free+0xdf/0x160, CPU#0: kworker/0:2/198 Call Trace: pci_bus_release_emul_domain_nr+0x17/0x20 pci_release_host_bridge_dev+0x4b/0x60 device_release+0x3b/0xa0 kobject_put+0x8e/0x220 devm_pci_alloc_host_bridge_release+0xe/0x20 devres_release_all+0x9a/0xd0 device_unbind_cleanup+0x12/0xa0 really_probe+0x1c5/0x3f0 vmbus_add_channel_work+0x135/0x1a0 Fix this by letting pci core handle the free domain_nr and remove the explicit free called in pci-hyperv driver.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Double Free
The product calls free() twice on the same memory address.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Choose a language that provides automatic memory management.
- Ensure that each allocation is freed only once. After freeing a chunk, set the pointer to NULL to ensure the pointer cannot be freed again. In complicated error conditions, be sure that clean-up routines respect the state of allocation properly. If the language is object oriented, ensure that object destructors delete each chunk of memory only once.
- Use a static analysis tool to find double free instances.
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Patches and release notes
Recent Double Free vulnerabilities
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
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