CVE-2026-46189NVD status: Modified
Linux: Double Free
CVE-2026-46189 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 269967d7693304e1f06ed2dff4ebbbeeb397cda4, 1df5711121cdc11e76b889408fdbe459feba1d39, 3a231c34c5bc3d3cfc850b877758ec9fdaa8a483 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.
Next patch cycle
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Update Linux to 269967d7693304e1f06ed2dff4ebbbeeb397cda4 or 1df5711121cdc11e76b889408fdbe459feba1d39 or 3a231c34c5bc3d3cfc850b877758ec9fdaa8a483 or ecc36a82ecfcfdf3c6606d209f22ec5543c410e0, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Linux Kernel to 5.10.258 or 5.15.209 or 6.1.175 or 6.6.140, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 29c8d9eba550c6d73d17cc1618a9f5f2a7345aa1 up to, but not including, 269967d7693304e1f06ed2dff4ebbbeeb397cda4; 29c8d9eba550c6d73d17cc1618a9f5f2a7345aa1 up to, but not including, 1df5711121cdc11e76b889408fdbe459feba1d39; 29c8d9eba550c6d73d17cc1618a9f5f2a7345aa1 up to, but not including, 3a231c34c5bc3d3cfc850b877758ec9fdaa8a483; 29c8d9eba550c6d73d17cc1618a9f5f2a7345aa1 up to, but not including, ecc36a82ecfcfdf3c6606d209f22ec5543c410e0; 29c8d9eba550c6d73d17cc1618a9f5f2a7345aa1 up to, but not including, 45d25e3ec17900bf5a9d6876ff16ceee31c4c0e0; 29c8d9eba550c6d73d17cc1618a9f5f2a7345aa1 up to, but not including, 0c63333ff97bd1275294fd12840a0efe9d7a4c59; 29c8d9eba550c6d73d17cc1618a9f5f2a7345aa1 up to, but not including, 935ee27d0904aa944cbcc979094c20e5ef62eead; 29c8d9eba550c6d73d17cc1618a9f5f2a7345aa1 up to, but not including, e38e86995df27f1f854063dab1f0c6a513db3faf; and 1 more ranges | 269967d7693304e1f06ed2dff4ebbbeeb397cda4, 1df5711121cdc11e76b889408fdbe459feba1d39, 3a231c34c5bc3d3cfc850b877758ec9fdaa8a483, ecc36a82ecfcfdf3c6606d209f22ec5543c410e0, 45d25e3ec17900bf5a9d6876ff16ceee31c4c0e0, 0c63333ff97bd1275294fd12840a0efe9d7a4c59 |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4 Advanced Mission Critical Update Support | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4 Extended Update Support Long-Life Add-On | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.6 Advanced Mission Critical Update Support | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.6 Extended Update Support Long-Life Add-On | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.8 Telecommunications Update Service | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.8 Update Services for SAP Solutions | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.2 Update Services for SAP Solutions | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.4 Update Services for SAP Solutions | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.6 Extended Update Support | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | 4.10 up to, but not including, 5.10.258; 5.11 up to, but not including, 5.15.209; 5.16 up to, but not including, 6.1.175; 6.2 up to, but not including, 6.6.140; 6.7 up to, but not including, 6.12.88; 6.13 up to, but not including, 6.18.30; 6.19 up to, but not including, 7.0.7; 7.1 | 5.10.258, 5.15.209, 6.1.175, 6.6.140, 6.12.88, 6.18.30 |
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.
| Scoring system | Score | Severity | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.8 | High | NVD |
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.0 | High | CNA |
Official description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: RDMA/vmw_pvrdma: Fix double free on pvrdma_alloc_ucontext() error path Sashiko points out that pvrdma_uar_free() is already called within pvrdma_dealloc_ucontext(), so calling it before triggers a double free.
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.
- 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/0c63333ff97bd1275294fd12840a0efe9d7a4c59
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/1df5711121cdc11e76b889408fdbe459feba1d39
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/269967d7693304e1f06ed2dff4ebbbeeb397cda4
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/3a231c34c5bc3d3cfc850b877758ec9fdaa8a483
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/45d25e3ec17900bf5a9d6876ff16ceee31c4c0e0
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/935ee27d0904aa944cbcc979094c20e5ef62eead
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/e38e86995df27f1f854063dab1f0c6a513db3faf
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/ecc36a82ecfcfdf3c6606d209f22ec5543c410e0
Other references
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:30848
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:33685
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:33743
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:35904
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:36049
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:36073
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:36767
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:38902
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:40068
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:40760
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:47633
- access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-46189
- bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2482588
- security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-46189.json
Recent Double Free vulnerabilities
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.0 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
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