Linux: Use After Free
CVE-2026-64342 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 d058d377291567b72aea33b017215cbfb383b0ad, a7bbe946ca3a6eeb6f364d5e84b05e02c7c0d595, 97ad9337127be04ca0b027c2b01e69302353f404 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 d058d377291567b72aea33b017215cbfb383b0ad or a7bbe946ca3a6eeb6f364d5e84b05e02c7c0d595 or 97ad9337127be04ca0b027c2b01e69302353f404 or 164398601a7f160bc3df1efa454f983302cef03f, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Linux Kernel to 5.10.261 or 5.15.212 or 6.1.178 or 6.6.145, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 946b960d13c15f050a3b848987aaca79f6a459b7 up to, but not including, d058d377291567b72aea33b017215cbfb383b0ad; 946b960d13c15f050a3b848987aaca79f6a459b7 up to, but not including, a7bbe946ca3a6eeb6f364d5e84b05e02c7c0d595; 946b960d13c15f050a3b848987aaca79f6a459b7 up to, but not including, 97ad9337127be04ca0b027c2b01e69302353f404; 946b960d13c15f050a3b848987aaca79f6a459b7 up to, but not including, 164398601a7f160bc3df1efa454f983302cef03f; 946b960d13c15f050a3b848987aaca79f6a459b7 up to, but not including, f328b0e9a0dbd162f5db1b83026b689f2fea2241; 946b960d13c15f050a3b848987aaca79f6a459b7 up to, but not including, b748f97aff339e7f08dca9cf38a05b980fb66fea; 946b960d13c15f050a3b848987aaca79f6a459b7 up to, but not including, e4596816984efc537e7c04c1af0c639394f967f7; 946b960d13c15f050a3b848987aaca79f6a459b7 up to, but not including, bc0e4f16c44e50daa0b1ea729934baa3b4815dee; and 1 more ranges | d058d377291567b72aea33b017215cbfb383b0ad, a7bbe946ca3a6eeb6f364d5e84b05e02c7c0d595, 97ad9337127be04ca0b027c2b01e69302353f404, 164398601a7f160bc3df1efa454f983302cef03f, f328b0e9a0dbd162f5db1b83026b689f2fea2241, b748f97aff339e7f08dca9cf38a05b980fb66fea |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | 2.6.21.1 up to, but not including, 5.10.261; 5.11 up to, but not including, 5.15.212; 5.16 up to, but not including, 6.1.178; 6.2 up to, but not including, 6.6.145; 6.7 up to, but not including, 6.12.96; 6.13 up to, but not including, 6.18.39; 6.19 up to, but not including, 7.1.4; 2.6.21; and 1 more ranges | 5.10.261, 5.15.212, 6.1.178, 6.6.145, 6.12.96, 6.18.39 |
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: USB: iowarrior: fix use-after-free on disconnect Submitted write URBs are not stopped on close() and therefore need to be stopped unconditionally on disconnect() to avoid use-after-free in the completion handler.
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: partial).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Patches and release notes
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/164398601a7f160bc3df1efa454f983302cef03f
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/97ad9337127be04ca0b027c2b01e69302353f404
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/a7bbe946ca3a6eeb6f364d5e84b05e02c7c0d595
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/b748f97aff339e7f08dca9cf38a05b980fb66fea
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/bc0e4f16c44e50daa0b1ea729934baa3b4815dee
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/d058d377291567b72aea33b017215cbfb383b0ad
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/e4596816984efc537e7c04c1af0c639394f967f7
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/f328b0e9a0dbd162f5db1b83026b689f2fea2241
Recent Use After Free vulnerabilities
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
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