Linux: Use After Free
CVE-2026-52976 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 f93b00161213a0fe9f7ff1d8498ee5ca9e0a5c43, 753b149d5a433eb19e0c1b0eb4526a6e26120d1f, 1be55646d8a2035343b012dcb12210db7bb8b056 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 0.18% 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 f93b00161213a0fe9f7ff1d8498ee5ca9e0a5c43 or 753b149d5a433eb19e0c1b0eb4526a6e26120d1f or 1be55646d8a2035343b012dcb12210db7bb8b056 or f3cc22d4df3ed58439ea7e21daa54c3608e03b78, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Linux Kernel to 6.12.91 or 6.18.33 or 7.0.10, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 7970cb36966c9b9183255dc097ae0446300eebcf up to, but not including, f93b00161213a0fe9f7ff1d8498ee5ca9e0a5c43; 7970cb36966c9b9183255dc097ae0446300eebcf up to, but not including, 753b149d5a433eb19e0c1b0eb4526a6e26120d1f; 7970cb36966c9b9183255dc097ae0446300eebcf up to, but not including, 1be55646d8a2035343b012dcb12210db7bb8b056; 7970cb36966c9b9183255dc097ae0446300eebcf up to, but not including, f3cc22d4df3ed58439ea7e21daa54c3608e03b78; 6.12 | f93b00161213a0fe9f7ff1d8498ee5ca9e0a5c43, 753b149d5a433eb19e0c1b0eb4526a6e26120d1f, 1be55646d8a2035343b012dcb12210db7bb8b056, f3cc22d4df3ed58439ea7e21daa54c3608e03b78 |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 | 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 6 | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | 6.12 up to, but not including, 6.12.91; 6.13 up to, but not including, 6.18.33; 6.19 up to, but not including, 7.0.10; 7.1 | 6.12.91, 6.18.33, 7.0.10 |
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.
| Scoring system | Score | Severity | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.8 | High | CNA |
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.0 | High | CNA |
Official description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: drm/xe: Fix error cleanup in xe_exec_queue_create_ioctl() Two error handling issues exist in xe_exec_queue_create_ioctl(): 1. When xe_hw_engine_group_add_exec_queue() fails, the error path jumps to put_exec_queue which skips xe_exec_queue_kill(). If the VM is in preempt fence mode, xe_vm_add_compute_exec_queue() has already added the queue to the VM's compute exec queue list. Skipping the kill leaves the queue on that list, leading to a dangling pointer after the queue is freed. 2. When xa_alloc() fails after xe_hw_engine_group_add_exec_queue() has succeeded, the error path does not call xe_hw_engine_group_del_exec_queue() to remove the queue from the hw engine group list. The queue is then freed while still linked into the hw engine group, causing a use-after-free. Fix both by: - Changing the xe_hw_engine_group_add_exec_queue() failure path to jump to kill_exec_queue so that xe_exec_queue_kill() properly removes the queue from the VM's compute list. - Adding a del_hw_engine_group label before kill_exec_queue for the xa_alloc() failure path, which removes the queue from the hw engine group before proceeding with the rest of the cleanup. (cherry picked from commit 37c831f401746a45d510b312b0ed7a77b1e06ec8)
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
Third-party and government advisories
- access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-52976Third Party Advisory
- bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2492284Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory
- security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-52976.jsonThird Party Advisory
Other references
Recent Use After Free vulnerabilities
- 7.5 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 9.6 Critical severity
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