Linux: Use After Free
CVE-2026-43322 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.8 out of 10. It can be exploited from the same local network by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. The record lists versions 260dc2be643b4a35b27008490c533613e3e53867, 035c25007c9e698bef3826070ee34bb6d778020c 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 0.22% 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 260dc2be643b4a35b27008490c533613e3e53867 or 035c25007c9e698bef3826070ee34bb6d778020c, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Linux Kernel to 6.19.12 or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | a106e50be74b0896583f4d010a69f9806e4194f4 up to, but not including, 260dc2be643b4a35b27008490c533613e3e53867; a106e50be74b0896583f4d010a69f9806e4194f4 up to, but not including, 035c25007c9e698bef3826070ee34bb6d778020c; 6.19 | 260dc2be643b4a35b27008490c533613e3e53867, 035c25007c9e698bef3826070ee34bb6d778020c |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | 6.19 up to, but not including, 6.19.12; 7.0 | 6.19.12 |
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
- AdjacentThe attacker must be on the same local network segment.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Privileges required
- NoneNo account or login is needed.
- 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:A/AC:L/PR:N/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: Bluetooth: hci_sync: Fix UAF in le_read_features_complete This fixes the following backtrace caused by hci_conn being freed before le_read_features_complete but after hci_le_read_remote_features_sync so hci_conn_del -> hci_cmd_sync_dequeue is not able to prevent it: ================================================================== BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in instrument_atomic_read_write include/linux/instrumented.h:96 [inline] BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in atomic_dec_and_test include/linux/atomic/atomic-instrumented.h:1383 [inline] BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in hci_conn_drop include/net/bluetooth/hci_core.h:1688 [inline] BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in le_read_features_complete+0x5b/0x340 net/bluetooth/hci_sync.c:7344 Write of size 4 at addr ffff8880796b0010 by task kworker/u9:0/52 CPU: 0 UID: 0 PID: 52 Comm: kworker/u9:0 Not tainted syzkaller #0 PREEMPT(full) Hardware name: Google Google Compute Engine/Google Compute Engine, BIOS Google 10/25/2025 Workqueue: hci0 hci_cmd_sync_work Call Trace: <TASK> __dump_stack lib/dump_stack.c:94 [inline] dump_stack_lvl+0x116/0x1f0 lib/dump_stack.c:120 print_address_description mm/kasan/report.c:378 [inline] print_report+0xcd/0x630 mm/kasan/report.c:482 kasan_report+0xe0/0x110 mm/kasan/report.c:595 check_region_inline mm/kasan/generic.c:194 [inline] kasan_check_range+0x100/0x1b0 mm/kasan/generic.c:200 instrument_atomic_read_write include/linux/instrumented.h:96 [inline] atomic_dec_and_test include/linux/atomic/atomic-instrumented.h:1383 [inline] hci_conn_drop include/net/bluetooth/hci_core.h:1688 [inline] le_read_features_complete+0x5b/0x340 net/bluetooth/hci_sync.c:7344 hci_cmd_sync_work+0x1ff/0x430 net/bluetooth/hci_sync.c:334 process_one_work+0x9ba/0x1b20 kernel/workqueue.c:3257 process_scheduled_works kernel/workqueue.c:3340 [inline] worker_thread+0x6c8/0xf10 kernel/workqueue.c:3421 kthread+0x3c5/0x780 kernel/kthread.c:463 ret_from_fork+0x983/0xb10 arch/x86/kernel/process.c:158 ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30 arch/x86/entry/entry_64.S:246 </TASK> Allocated by task 5932: kasan_save_stack+0x33/0x60 mm/kasan/common.c:56 kasan_save_track+0x14/0x30 mm/kasan/common.c:77 poison_kmalloc_redzone mm/kasan/common.c:400 [inline] __kasan_kmalloc+0xaa/0xb0 mm/kasan/common.c:417 kmalloc_noprof include/linux/slab.h:957 [inline] kzalloc_noprof include/linux/slab.h:1094 [inline] __hci_conn_add+0xf8/0x1c70 net/bluetooth/hci_conn.c:963 hci_conn_add_unset+0x76/0x100 net/bluetooth/hci_conn.c:1084 le_conn_complete_evt+0x639/0x1f20 net/bluetooth/hci_event.c:5714 hci_le_enh_conn_complete_evt+0x23d/0x380 net/bluetooth/hci_event.c:5861 hci_le_meta_evt+0x357/0x5e0 net/bluetooth/hci_event.c:7408 hci_event_func net/bluetooth/hci_event.c:7716 [inline] hci_event_packet+0x685/0x11c0 net/bluetooth/hci_event.c:7773 hci_rx_work+0x2c9/0xeb0 net/bluetooth/hci_core.c:4076 process_one_work+0x9ba/0x1b20 kernel/workqueue.c:3257 process_scheduled_works kernel/workqueue.c:3340 [inline] worker_thread+0x6c8/0xf10 kernel/workqueue.c:3421 kthread+0x3c5/0x780 kernel/kthread.c:463 ret_from_fork+0x983/0xb10 arch/x86/kernel/process.c:158 ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30 arch/x86/entry/entry_64.S:246 Freed by task 5932: kasan_save_stack+0x33/0x60 mm/kasan/common.c:56 kasan_save_track+0x14/0x30 mm/kasan/common.c:77 __kasan_save_free_info+0x3b/0x60 mm/kasan/generic.c:587 kasan_save_free_info mm/kasan/kasan.h:406 [inline] poison_slab_object mm/kasan/common.c:252 [inline] __kasan_slab_free+0x5f/0x80 mm/kasan/common.c:284 kasan_slab_free include/linux/kasan.h:234 [inline] slab_free_hook mm/slub.c:2540 [inline] slab_free mm/slub.c:6663 [inline] kfree+0x2f8/0x6e0 mm/slub.c:6871 device_release+0xa4/0x240 drivers/base/core.c:2565 kobject_cleanup lib/kobject.c:689 [inline] kobject_release lib/kobject.c:720 [inline] kref_put include/linux/kref.h:65 [inline] kobject_put+0x1e7/0x590 lib/kobject. ---truncated---
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
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