Linux: Use After Free
CVE-2026-45996 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 c7c40c3e7b9fb900504aa746de3e53c5275b24bd, f99165ef067723221472ce1aff632bc74f562643, 385a330083f8dd47c15b02e9a83aef9234a37003 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 c7c40c3e7b9fb900504aa746de3e53c5275b24bd or f99165ef067723221472ce1aff632bc74f562643 or 385a330083f8dd47c15b02e9a83aef9234a37003 or 132e47030b0b5e398e0da6c59df5a5dae9b52cff, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Linux Kernel to 6.6.140 or 6.12.86 or 6.18.27 or 7.0.4, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 307c897db762d1e0feee9477276b08f6deca4a5b up to, but not including, c7c40c3e7b9fb900504aa746de3e53c5275b24bd; 307c897db762d1e0feee9477276b08f6deca4a5b up to, but not including, f99165ef067723221472ce1aff632bc74f562643; 307c897db762d1e0feee9477276b08f6deca4a5b up to, but not including, 385a330083f8dd47c15b02e9a83aef9234a37003; 307c897db762d1e0feee9477276b08f6deca4a5b up to, but not including, 132e47030b0b5e398e0da6c59df5a5dae9b52cff; 307c897db762d1e0feee9477276b08f6deca4a5b up to, but not including, aa9025a498036b6012769f7af36d421385386c17; 307c897db762d1e0feee9477276b08f6deca4a5b up to, but not including, 1c78c2002380a1fe31bfb01a3d5f29809e55a096; 5.19 | c7c40c3e7b9fb900504aa746de3e53c5275b24bd, f99165ef067723221472ce1aff632bc74f562643, 385a330083f8dd47c15b02e9a83aef9234a37003, 132e47030b0b5e398e0da6c59df5a5dae9b52cff, aa9025a498036b6012769f7af36d421385386c17, 1c78c2002380a1fe31bfb01a3d5f29809e55a096 |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | 5.19 up to, but not including, 6.6.140; 6.7 up to, but not including, 6.12.86; 6.13 up to, but not including, 6.18.27; 6.19 up to, but not including, 7.0.4 | 6.6.140, 6.12.86, 6.18.27, 7.0.4 |
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 NVD.
Official description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: spi: imx: fix use-after-free on unbind The SPI subsystem frees the controller and any subsystem allocated driver data as part of deregistration (unless the allocation is device managed). Take another reference before deregistering the controller so that the driver data is not freed until the driver is done with it.
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: partial).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Patches and release notes
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/132e47030b0b5e398e0da6c59df5a5dae9b52cff
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/1c78c2002380a1fe31bfb01a3d5f29809e55a096
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/385a330083f8dd47c15b02e9a83aef9234a37003
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/aa9025a498036b6012769f7af36d421385386c17
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/f99165ef067723221472ce1aff632bc74f562643
Other references
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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