Linux: Use After Free
CVE-2026-45980 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 b79d31dce49b50c79620389b3639280802a86960, 688c3ff079b10e4600f040944430d3d4ff448a15, f1370241fe8045702bc9d0812b996791f0500f1b 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 b79d31dce49b50c79620389b3639280802a86960 or 688c3ff079b10e4600f040944430d3d4ff448a15 or f1370241fe8045702bc9d0812b996791f0500f1b or 6.15, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Linux Kernel to 6.18.14 or 6.19.4, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 4fd6ca90fc7f509977585d39885f21b2911123f3 up to, but not including, b79d31dce49b50c79620389b3639280802a86960; 4fd6ca90fc7f509977585d39885f21b2911123f3 up to, but not including, 688c3ff079b10e4600f040944430d3d4ff448a15; 4fd6ca90fc7f509977585d39885f21b2911123f3 up to, but not including, f1370241fe8045702bc9d0812b996791f0500f1b; 36f781a3f0deac92f169416997a17e73538cf470; 6.14.9 up to, but not including, 6.15; 6.15 | b79d31dce49b50c79620389b3639280802a86960, 688c3ff079b10e4600f040944430d3d4ff448a15, f1370241fe8045702bc9d0812b996791f0500f1b, 6.15 |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | 6.14.9 up to, but not including, 6.18.14; 6.19 up to, but not including, 6.19.4 | 6.18.14, 6.19.4 |
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: accel/amdxdna: Stop job scheduling across aie2_release_resource() Running jobs on a hardware context while it is in the process of releasing resources can lead to use-after-free and crashes. Fix this by stopping job scheduling before calling aie2_release_resource() and restarting it after the release completes. Additionally, aie2_sched_job_run() now checks whether the hardware context is still active.
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
- 8.1 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
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