Linux: Use After Free
CVE-2026-64080 is a critical-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.3 out of 10. It can be exploited with local access to the system by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. The record lists versions d1e38551fadea230649bc428f0f35c9ee062a072, 0e7be42ef2490f19d859a6146324d48cafdc9d5c, 38290b180a4d5746baed796d49f88d56d2f336cd 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 0.2% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
Critical severity: a successful attack would have severe impact.
What to do
- Update Linux to d1e38551fadea230649bc428f0f35c9ee062a072 or 0e7be42ef2490f19d859a6146324d48cafdc9d5c or 38290b180a4d5746baed796d49f88d56d2f336cd, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Linux Kernel to 6.18.34 or 7.0.11, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 285a5ea0f542db94c3ed11e01a71abb47d15cbf5 up to, but not including, d1e38551fadea230649bc428f0f35c9ee062a072; 285a5ea0f542db94c3ed11e01a71abb47d15cbf5 up to, but not including, 0e7be42ef2490f19d859a6146324d48cafdc9d5c; 285a5ea0f542db94c3ed11e01a71abb47d15cbf5 up to, but not including, 38290b180a4d5746baed796d49f88d56d2f336cd; 6.15 | d1e38551fadea230649bc428f0f35c9ee062a072, 0e7be42ef2490f19d859a6146324d48cafdc9d5c, 38290b180a4d5746baed796d49f88d56d2f336cd |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | 6.15 up to, but not including, 6.18.34; 6.19 up to, but not including, 7.0.11; 7.1 | 6.18.34, 7.0.11 |
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
- NoneNo account or login is needed.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- ChangedThe attack can reach beyond the vulnerable component into other systems.
- 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:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by CNA.
Official description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: firmware: arm_ffa: Snapshot notifier callbacks under lock Both notification handlers currently look up a notifier callback under notify_lock, drop the lock, and then dereference the returned notifier entry. A concurrent unregister can delete and free that entry in the gap, leaving the handler to dereference stale memory. Copy the callback pointer and callback data while notify_lock is still held and invoke the callback only after the lock is dropped. This keeps the existing callback execution model while removing the use-after-free window in both the framework and non-framework notification paths.
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
Recent Use After Free vulnerabilities
- 8.8 High severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 8.8 High severity
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