Linux: Use After Free
CVE-2026-43111 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 20dca865460f7943cf70afca274b60dac371f546, 441689e3103694caa3e2d62b7d57c7bccefa5e37, 181ea51ab0f6370842c5b49cfb86824253a1189e 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 0.1% 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 20dca865460f7943cf70afca274b60dac371f546 or 441689e3103694caa3e2d62b7d57c7bccefa5e37 or 181ea51ab0f6370842c5b49cfb86824253a1189e or e6a445513fbc6a0329d2d5ff375b6725750ec5a6, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Linux Kernel to 6.6.136 or 6.12.83 or 6.18.24 or 6.19.14, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 206f5f2fcb5ff5bb0c60f9e9189937f3ca03e378 up to, but not including, 20dca865460f7943cf70afca274b60dac371f546; 206f5f2fcb5ff5bb0c60f9e9189937f3ca03e378 up to, but not including, 441689e3103694caa3e2d62b7d57c7bccefa5e37; 206f5f2fcb5ff5bb0c60f9e9189937f3ca03e378 up to, but not including, 181ea51ab0f6370842c5b49cfb86824253a1189e; 206f5f2fcb5ff5bb0c60f9e9189937f3ca03e378 up to, but not including, e6a445513fbc6a0329d2d5ff375b6725750ec5a6; 206f5f2fcb5ff5bb0c60f9e9189937f3ca03e378 up to, but not including, e16a6d11bd77b81632165f02cf0d5946df74b3b7; 206f5f2fcb5ff5bb0c60f9e9189937f3ca03e378 up to, but not including, 36bb2d0b915014bbdc5044982b31b57b78045b93; 206f5f2fcb5ff5bb0c60f9e9189937f3ca03e378 up to, but not including, bca0b595e15450dd66b1153c76c4ef1087ee011b; 206f5f2fcb5ff5bb0c60f9e9189937f3ca03e378 up to, but not including, d802d848308b35220f21a8025352f0c0aba15c12; and 1 more ranges | 20dca865460f7943cf70afca274b60dac371f546, 441689e3103694caa3e2d62b7d57c7bccefa5e37, 181ea51ab0f6370842c5b49cfb86824253a1189e, e6a445513fbc6a0329d2d5ff375b6725750ec5a6, e16a6d11bd77b81632165f02cf0d5946df74b3b7, 36bb2d0b915014bbdc5044982b31b57b78045b93 |
| Siemens | SIMATIC S7-1500 TM MFP - GNU/Linux subsystem | all versions | Not stated |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | 2.6.35 up to, but not including, 6.6.136; 6.7 up to, but not including, 6.12.83; 6.13 up to, but not including, 6.18.24; 6.19 up to, but not including, 6.19.14; 7.0 | 6.6.136, 6.12.83, 6.18.24, 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 CNA.
Official description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: HID: roccat: fix use-after-free in roccat_report_event roccat_report_event() iterates over the device->readers list without holding the readers_lock. This allows a concurrent roccat_release() to remove and free a reader while it's still being accessed, leading to a use-after-free. Protect the readers list traversal with the readers_lock mutex.
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.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Patches and release notes
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/36bb2d0b915014bbdc5044982b31b57b78045b93
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/bca0b595e15450dd66b1153c76c4ef1087ee011b
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/d802d848308b35220f21a8025352f0c0aba15c12
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/e16a6d11bd77b81632165f02cf0d5946df74b3b7
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/e6a445513fbc6a0329d2d5ff375b6725750ec5a6
Other references
Recent Use After Free vulnerabilities
- 8.8 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 8.3 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 8.3 High severity
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