Linux: Use After Free
CVE-2026-53160 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 0a3b87293fbd34fda651e6aead9964f84b893962, 8b080c89183196fd3e49212f2a1a1c4a29335b9c, 5b0166112019d1dce30b976ab28fd67f7f0be532 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 0.13% 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 0a3b87293fbd34fda651e6aead9964f84b893962 or 8b080c89183196fd3e49212f2a1a1c4a29335b9c or 5b0166112019d1dce30b976ab28fd67f7f0be532 or 992f121796b7ca83a5a8b93da24e971363206218, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Linux Kernel to 6.1.176 or 6.6.143 or 6.12.94 or 6.18.36, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 0b70ec82b309a4093106ff399da1911ad23b52d3 up to, but not including, 0a3b87293fbd34fda651e6aead9964f84b893962; d7513b47082c08105e837b06cebeb3f07a5fa56f up to, but not including, 8b080c89183196fd3e49212f2a1a1c4a29335b9c; 802359a52676176b18713e33caa17572ad009057 up to, but not including, 5b0166112019d1dce30b976ab28fd67f7f0be532; 10df039834f84a297c72ec962c0f9b7c8c5ca31a up to, but not including, 992f121796b7ca83a5a8b93da24e971363206218; 10df039834f84a297c72ec962c0f9b7c8c5ca31a up to, but not including, f20f6512ecb75c816e0debf4551a138f098615c4; 10df039834f84a297c72ec962c0f9b7c8c5ca31a up to, but not including, 07ebe87915d8accdaba20c4f88c5ae430fe62fbb; f3f59bab68e9bc714f757ab22f3fb36153014043; 6.1.156 up to, but not including, 6.1.176; and 4 more ranges | 0a3b87293fbd34fda651e6aead9964f84b893962, 8b080c89183196fd3e49212f2a1a1c4a29335b9c, 5b0166112019d1dce30b976ab28fd67f7f0be532, 992f121796b7ca83a5a8b93da24e971363206218, f20f6512ecb75c816e0debf4551a138f098615c4, 07ebe87915d8accdaba20c4f88c5ae430fe62fbb |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | 6.1.156 up to, but not including, 6.1.176; 6.6.112 up to, but not including, 6.6.143; 6.12.53 up to, but not including, 6.12.94; 6.17.3 up to, but not including, 6.18.36; 6.19 up to, but not including, 7.0.13; 7.1 | 6.1.176, 6.6.143, 6.12.94, 6.18.36, 7.0.13 |
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: misc: fastrpc: fix use-after-free race in fastrpc_map_create fastrpc_map_lookup returns a raw pointer after releasing fl->lock. The caller fastrpc_map_create then calls fastrpc_map_get (kref_get_unless_zero) on this unprotected pointer. A concurrent MEM_UNMAP can free the map between the lock release and the kref operation, resulting in a use-after-free on the freed slab object. Restore the take_ref parameter to fastrpc_map_lookup so the reference is acquired atomically under fl->lock before the pointer is exposed to the caller.
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
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/07ebe87915d8accdaba20c4f88c5ae430fe62fbb
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/0a3b87293fbd34fda651e6aead9964f84b893962
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/5b0166112019d1dce30b976ab28fd67f7f0be532
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/8b080c89183196fd3e49212f2a1a1c4a29335b9c
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/992f121796b7ca83a5a8b93da24e971363206218
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/f20f6512ecb75c816e0debf4551a138f098615c4
Recent Use After Free vulnerabilities
- 7.5 High severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 8.2 High severity
Spotted an error? Tell us.