Linux: Use After Free
CVE-2026-64246 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 93c7ee139721936b6fa717572e74d3994603ae13, cdda7d384c05485a232ae9a849f6445accb095bf, c04d606f8b35ee7d3ed243f63893a607e9d6c0bc 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 93c7ee139721936b6fa717572e74d3994603ae13 or cdda7d384c05485a232ae9a849f6445accb095bf or c04d606f8b35ee7d3ed243f63893a607e9d6c0bc or 3928ae803dee044b01076c478c279c0bd54164cd, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Linux Kernel to 5.15.211 or 6.1.177 or 6.6.144 or 6.12.95, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | e2f471efe1d607a7aff38ce53ec717cebe4283d6 up to, but not including, 93c7ee139721936b6fa717572e74d3994603ae13; e2f471efe1d607a7aff38ce53ec717cebe4283d6 up to, but not including, cdda7d384c05485a232ae9a849f6445accb095bf; e2f471efe1d607a7aff38ce53ec717cebe4283d6 up to, but not including, c04d606f8b35ee7d3ed243f63893a607e9d6c0bc; e2f471efe1d607a7aff38ce53ec717cebe4283d6 up to, but not including, 3928ae803dee044b01076c478c279c0bd54164cd; e2f471efe1d607a7aff38ce53ec717cebe4283d6 up to, but not including, 2205275be9be981e70ff29610b0117d8853fac70; e2f471efe1d607a7aff38ce53ec717cebe4283d6 up to, but not including, d109e72f3fbccb540473285d17d7519584f7f76e; e2f471efe1d607a7aff38ce53ec717cebe4283d6 up to, but not including, 8eec545cde69e46e9a1d2b7d915ce4f5df85b3bd; 5.15 | 93c7ee139721936b6fa717572e74d3994603ae13, cdda7d384c05485a232ae9a849f6445accb095bf, c04d606f8b35ee7d3ed243f63893a607e9d6c0bc, 3928ae803dee044b01076c478c279c0bd54164cd, 2205275be9be981e70ff29610b0117d8853fac70, d109e72f3fbccb540473285d17d7519584f7f76e |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | 5.15 up to, but not including, 5.15.211; 5.16 up to, but not including, 6.1.177; 6.2 up to, but not including, 6.6.144; 6.7 up to, but not including, 6.12.95; 6.13 up to, but not including, 6.18.38; 6.19 up to, but not including, 7.1.3 | 5.15.211, 6.1.177, 6.6.144, 6.12.95, 6.18.38, 7.1.3 |
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.
Official description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: power: reset: linkstation-poweroff: fix use-after-free in the linkstation_poweroff_init() Move of_node_put(dn) after the of_match_node() call, which still needs the node pointer. The node reference is correctly released after use.
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/2205275be9be981e70ff29610b0117d8853fac70
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/3928ae803dee044b01076c478c279c0bd54164cd
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/8eec545cde69e46e9a1d2b7d915ce4f5df85b3bd
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/93c7ee139721936b6fa717572e74d3994603ae13
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/c04d606f8b35ee7d3ed243f63893a607e9d6c0bc
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/cdda7d384c05485a232ae9a849f6445accb095bf
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/d109e72f3fbccb540473285d17d7519584f7f76e
Recent Use After Free vulnerabilities
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
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