Linux: Use After Free
CVE-2026-53290 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 bebce43f34b5feb8a760aa832eba81e0f8a38871, 84f2bfbe6e38f8b9815ca00826e53b7f51420402, dc2d9842c67d883d3200ae33b9c3859dd9492408 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 bebce43f34b5feb8a760aa832eba81e0f8a38871 or 84f2bfbe6e38f8b9815ca00826e53b7f51420402 or dc2d9842c67d883d3200ae33b9c3859dd9492408, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Linux Kernel to 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 | 9a0b11d4cf3b4324378c322b7043962e648681ed up to, but not including, bebce43f34b5feb8a760aa832eba81e0f8a38871; 9a0b11d4cf3b4324378c322b7043962e648681ed up to, but not including, 84f2bfbe6e38f8b9815ca00826e53b7f51420402; 9a0b11d4cf3b4324378c322b7043962e648681ed up to, but not including, dc2d9842c67d883d3200ae33b9c3859dd9492408; 6.15 | bebce43f34b5feb8a760aa832eba81e0f8a38871, 84f2bfbe6e38f8b9815ca00826e53b7f51420402, dc2d9842c67d883d3200ae33b9c3859dd9492408 |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | 6.15 up to, but not including, 6.18.33; 6.19 up to, but not including, 7.0.10; 7.1 | 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.
Official description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: drm/xe/eustall: Fix drm_dev_put called before stream disable in close In xe_eu_stall_stream_close(), drm_dev_put() is called before the stream is disabled and its resources are freed. If this drops the last reference, the device structures could be freed while the subsequent cleanup code still accesses them, leading to a use-after-free. Fix this by moving drm_dev_put() after all device accesses are complete. This matches the ordering in xe_oa_release(). (cherry picked from commit 35aff528f7297e949e5e19c9cd7fd748cf1cf21c)
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
Recent Use After Free vulnerabilities
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
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