CVE-2026-74628 (GCVE-0-2026-74628)
Vulnerability from cvelistv5 – Published: 2026-08-22 15:32 – Updated: 2026-08-25 05:40
VLAI
EPSS
VEX
Title
net/x25: fix use-after-free of the socket by its timers
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
net/x25: fix use-after-free of the socket by its timers
The x25 timers are armed with mod_timer() and cancelled with
timer_delete(), so a pending timer holds no reference on the socket and a
cancel does not wait for a callback already running on another CPU.
x25_heartbeat_expiry() also rearms unconditionally, so it can reinstall
sk->sk_timer after __x25_destroy_socket() has passed its cancel point.
The following __sock_put() frees the socket while the timer is still
queued, and the next expiry uses freed memory. KASAN reports a
slab-use-after-free on the kmalloc-2k object freed by close().
timer_delete_sync() cannot be used here: x25_heartbeat_expiry() and
x25_timer_expiry() both reach the cancels from inside the timer they
would wait on, through __x25_destroy_socket() and x25_disconnect().
Arm the timers with sk_reset_timer() and cancel them with sk_stop_timer()
so that an armed timer owns a reference, and release it in both expiry
handlers. Rearm the heartbeat only while sk_hashed(sk) is still true,
since __x25_destroy_socket() unlinks the socket before dropping it. Arm
the deferred destroy timer the same way and drop its reference in
x25_destroy_timer().
Reproduced on net with KASAN, with the heartbeat period shortened so the
window recurs. With this patch the reproducer no longer triggers a
report and /proc/net/x25 drains.
Discovered by XBOW, triaged by Baul Lee <baul.lee@xbow.com>
Severity
9.8 (Critical)
Assigner
References
7 references
Impacted products
2 products
| Vendor | Product | Version | CPE status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux |
Affected:
1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 , < 6b79659590f0f82a9b8efd2ffd55ec6399ebfc33
(git)
Affected: 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 , < fdd9ac50b9b61ef2b2d52c5156aff788be91454d (git) Affected: 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 , < 1fc9f6d2c7c9fdb341bfe8ca449c990632299ea6 (git) Affected: 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 , < 3c4919be5d910db4beebca420953858606fba7d8 (git) Affected: 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 , < 4bc522b33438fefc3272840ae5988771863a4f1f (git) Affected: 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 , < e92c7e2b41d1528a830bc64c5e4e46dfa8133dda (git) Affected: 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 , < 2195424c3da2ef1829a63b807e3a900a90e57d85 (git) |
guessed | |
| Linux | Linux |
Affected:
2.6.12
Unaffected: 0 , < 2.6.12 (semver) Unaffected: 5.15.217 , ≤ 5.15.* (semver) Unaffected: 6.1.184 , ≤ 6.1.* (semver) Unaffected: 6.6.153 , ≤ 6.6.* (semver) Unaffected: 6.12.105 , ≤ 6.12.* (semver) Unaffected: 6.18.45 , ≤ 6.18.* (semver) Unaffected: 7.1.9 , ≤ 7.1.* (semver) Unaffected: 7.2 , ≤ * (original_commit_for_fix) |
guessed |
{
"containers": {
"cna": {
"affected": [
{
"defaultStatus": "unaffected",
"product": "Linux",
"programFiles": [
"net/x25/af_x25.c",
"net/x25/x25_timer.c"
],
"repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
"vendor": "Linux",
"versions": [
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{
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{
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"versionType": "git"
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"net/x25/x25_timer.c"
],
"repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
"vendor": "Linux",
"versions": [
{
"status": "affected",
"version": "2.6.12"
},
{
"lessThan": "2.6.12",
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "0",
"versionType": "semver"
},
{
"lessThanOrEqual": "5.15.*",
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "5.15.217",
"versionType": "semver"
},
{
"lessThanOrEqual": "6.1.*",
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "6.1.184",
"versionType": "semver"
},
{
"lessThanOrEqual": "6.6.*",
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "6.6.153",
"versionType": "semver"
},
{
"lessThanOrEqual": "6.12.*",
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "6.12.105",
"versionType": "semver"
},
{
"lessThanOrEqual": "6.18.*",
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "6.18.45",
"versionType": "semver"
},
{
"lessThanOrEqual": "7.1.*",
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "7.1.9",
"versionType": "semver"
},
{
"lessThanOrEqual": "*",
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "7.2",
"versionType": "original_commit_for_fix"
}
]
}
],
"cpeApplicability": [
{
"nodes": [
{
"cpeMatch": [
{
"criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
"versionEndExcluding": "5.15.217",
"versionStartIncluding": "2.6.12",
"vulnerable": true
},
{
"criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
"versionEndExcluding": "6.1.184",
"versionStartIncluding": "2.6.12",
"vulnerable": true
},
{
"criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
"versionEndExcluding": "6.6.153",
"versionStartIncluding": "2.6.12",
"vulnerable": true
},
{
"criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
"versionEndExcluding": "6.12.105",
"versionStartIncluding": "2.6.12",
"vulnerable": true
},
{
"criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
"versionEndExcluding": "6.18.45",
"versionStartIncluding": "2.6.12",
"vulnerable": true
},
{
"criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
"versionEndExcluding": "7.1.9",
"versionStartIncluding": "2.6.12",
"vulnerable": true
},
{
"criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
"versionEndExcluding": "7.2",
"versionStartIncluding": "2.6.12",
"vulnerable": true
}
],
"negate": false,
"operator": "OR"
}
]
}
],
"descriptions": [
{
"lang": "en",
"value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nnet/x25: fix use-after-free of the socket by its timers\n\nThe x25 timers are armed with mod_timer() and cancelled with\ntimer_delete(), so a pending timer holds no reference on the socket and a\ncancel does not wait for a callback already running on another CPU.\n\nx25_heartbeat_expiry() also rearms unconditionally, so it can reinstall\nsk-\u003esk_timer after __x25_destroy_socket() has passed its cancel point.\nThe following __sock_put() frees the socket while the timer is still\nqueued, and the next expiry uses freed memory. KASAN reports a\nslab-use-after-free on the kmalloc-2k object freed by close().\n\ntimer_delete_sync() cannot be used here: x25_heartbeat_expiry() and\nx25_timer_expiry() both reach the cancels from inside the timer they\nwould wait on, through __x25_destroy_socket() and x25_disconnect().\n\nArm the timers with sk_reset_timer() and cancel them with sk_stop_timer()\nso that an armed timer owns a reference, and release it in both expiry\nhandlers. Rearm the heartbeat only while sk_hashed(sk) is still true,\nsince __x25_destroy_socket() unlinks the socket before dropping it. Arm\nthe deferred destroy timer the same way and drop its reference in\nx25_destroy_timer().\n\nReproduced on net with KASAN, with the heartbeat period shortened so the\nwindow recurs. With this patch the reproducer no longer triggers a\nreport and /proc/net/x25 drains.\n\nDiscovered by XBOW, triaged by Baul Lee \u003cbaul.lee@xbow.com\u003e"
}
],
"metrics": [
{
"cvssV3_1": {
"baseScore": 9.8,
"baseSeverity": "CRITICAL",
"vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
"version": "3.1"
},
"scenarios": [
{
"lang": "en",
"value": "AV:N - Remote X.25 frames reach x25_lapb_receive_frame() on init_net gateways, where unauthenticated CALL_REQUEST/CLEAR handling arms heartbeat timers and drives server socket teardown through __x25_destroy_socket() during close.\nAC:L - The attacker controls both sides of the race by opening/closing sockets or sending concurrent connect/clear traffic, repeatedly forcing __x25_destroy_socket() against sk_timer callbacks that re-arm via mod_timer().\nPR:N - X.25 call setup and clearing are unauthenticated on the wire; a remote peer can create sockets via CALL_REQUEST and force teardown without any local account or CAP_NET_ADMIN.\nUI:N - Exploitation requires no end-user action; automated server handling of remote X.25 connect/clear suffices to reach the vulnerable close/timer path.\nS:U - Impact stays within kernel memory via standard slab UAF on the AF_X25 socket object; this is not a guest/host or IOMMU boundary escape.\nC:H - KASAN reports slab-use-after-free on the kmalloc-2k socket freed by close(), and UAF on struct sock gives attacker-controlled reuse enabling arbitrary kernel memory disclosure.\nI:H - Use-after-free of the socket structure enables heap grooming and corrupting freed object contents for control-flow or arbitrary kernel writes/code execution.\nA:H - The freed socket timer expiry dereferences released memory and can oops/panic the kernel; UAF reliably threatens system availability even before full exploitation."
}
]
}
],
"providerMetadata": {
"dateUpdated": "2026-08-25T05:40:52.046Z",
"orgId": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
"shortName": "Linux"
},
"references": [
{
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6b79659590f0f82a9b8efd2ffd55ec6399ebfc33"
},
{
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fdd9ac50b9b61ef2b2d52c5156aff788be91454d"
},
{
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1fc9f6d2c7c9fdb341bfe8ca449c990632299ea6"
},
{
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3c4919be5d910db4beebca420953858606fba7d8"
},
{
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4bc522b33438fefc3272840ae5988771863a4f1f"
},
{
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e92c7e2b41d1528a830bc64c5e4e46dfa8133dda"
},
{
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2195424c3da2ef1829a63b807e3a900a90e57d85"
}
],
"title": "net/x25: fix use-after-free of the socket by its timers",
"x_generator": {
"engine": "bippy-1.2.0"
}
}
},
"cveMetadata": {
"assignerOrgId": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
"assignerShortName": "Linux",
"cveId": "CVE-2026-74628",
"datePublished": "2026-08-22T15:32:10.135Z",
"dateReserved": "2026-08-15T05:44:03.921Z",
"dateUpdated": "2026-08-25T05:40:52.046Z",
"state": "PUBLISHED"
},
"dataType": "CVE_RECORD",
"dataVersion": "5.2",
"vulnerability-lookup:meta": {
"epss": {
"cve": "CVE-2026-74628",
"date": "2026-08-26",
"epss": "0.00488",
"percentile": "0.39932"
},
"microsoft_vex": {
"current_release_date": "2026-08-24T14:46:06.000Z",
"cve": "CVE-2026-74628",
"id": "msrc_CVE-2026-74628",
"initial_release_date": "2026-08-24T01:02:38.000Z",
"product_status:known_affected": "1",
"source": "Microsoft CSAF VEX",
"status": "final",
"title": "net/x25: fix use-after-free of the socket by its timers",
"url": "https://msrc.microsoft.com/csaf/vex/2026/msrc_cve-2026-74628.json",
"version": "2"
},
"nvd": "{\"cve\":{\"id\":\"CVE-2026-74628\",\"sourceIdentifier\":\"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67\",\"published\":\"2026-08-22T16:16:35.737\",\"lastModified\":\"2026-08-25T06:18:41.497\",\"vulnStatus\":\"Received\",\"cveTags\":[],\"descriptions\":[{\"lang\":\"en\",\"value\":\"In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\\n\\nnet/x25: fix use-after-free of the socket by its timers\\n\\nThe x25 timers are armed with mod_timer() and cancelled with\\ntimer_delete(), so a pending timer holds no reference on the socket and a\\ncancel does not wait for a callback already running on another CPU.\\n\\nx25_heartbeat_expiry() also rearms unconditionally, so it can reinstall\\nsk-\u003esk_timer after __x25_destroy_socket() has passed its cancel point.\\nThe following __sock_put() frees the socket while the timer is still\\nqueued, and the next expiry uses freed memory. KASAN reports a\\nslab-use-after-free on the kmalloc-2k object freed by close().\\n\\ntimer_delete_sync() cannot be used here: x25_heartbeat_expiry() and\\nx25_timer_expiry() both reach the cancels from inside the timer they\\nwould wait on, through __x25_destroy_socket() and x25_disconnect().\\n\\nArm the timers with sk_reset_timer() and cancel them with sk_stop_timer()\\nso that an armed timer owns a reference, and release it in both expiry\\nhandlers. Rearm the heartbeat only while sk_hashed(sk) is still true,\\nsince __x25_destroy_socket() unlinks the socket before dropping it. Arm\\nthe deferred destroy timer the same way and drop its reference in\\nx25_destroy_timer().\\n\\nReproduced on net with KASAN, with the heartbeat period shortened so the\\nwindow recurs. With this patch the reproducer no longer triggers a\\nreport and /proc/net/x25 drains.\\n\\nDiscovered by XBOW, triaged by Baul Lee \u003cbaul.lee@xbow.com\u003e\"}],\"affected\":[{\"source\":\"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67\",\"affectedData\":[{\"vendor\":\"Linux\",\"product\":\"Linux\",\"defaultStatus\":\"unaffected\",\"programFiles\":[\"net/x25/af_x25.c\",\"net/x25/x25_timer.c\"],\"repo\":\"https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git\",\"versions\":[{\"version\":\"1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2\",\"lessThan\":\"6b79659590f0f82a9b8efd2ffd55ec6399ebfc33\",\"versionType\":\"git\",\"status\":\"affected\"},{\"version\":\"1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2\",\"lessThan\":\"fdd9ac50b9b61ef2b2d52c5156aff788be91454d\",\"versionType\":\"git\",\"status\":\"affected\"},{\"version\":\"1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2\",\"lessThan\":\"1fc9f6d2c7c9fdb341bfe8ca449c990632299ea6\",\"versionType\":\"git\",\"status\":\"affected\"},{\"version\":\"1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2\",\"lessThan\":\"3c4919be5d910db4beebca420953858606fba7d8\",\"versionType\":\"git\",\"status\":\"affected\"},{\"version\":\"1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2\",\"lessThan\":\"4bc522b33438fefc3272840ae5988771863a4f1f\",\"versionType\":\"git\",\"status\":\"affected\"},{\"version\":\"1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2\",\"lessThan\":\"e92c7e2b41d1528a830bc64c5e4e46dfa8133dda\",\"versionType\":\"git\",\"status\":\"affected\"},{\"version\":\"1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2\",\"lessThan\":\"2195424c3da2ef1829a63b807e3a900a90e57d85\",\"versionType\":\"git\",\"status\":\"affected\"}]},{\"vendor\":\"Linux\",\"product\":\"Linux\",\"defaultStatus\":\"affected\",\"programFiles\":[\"net/x25/af_x25.c\",\"net/x25/x25_timer.c\"],\"repo\":\"https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git\",\"versions\":[{\"version\":\"2.6.12\",\"status\":\"affected\"},{\"version\":\"0\",\"lessThan\":\"2.6.12\",\"versionType\":\"semver\",\"status\":\"unaffected\"},{\"version\":\"5.15.217\",\"lessThanOrEqual\":\"5.15.*\",\"versionType\":\"semver\",\"status\":\"unaffected\"},{\"version\":\"6.1.184\",\"lessThanOrEqual\":\"6.1.*\",\"versionType\":\"semver\",\"status\":\"unaffected\"},{\"version\":\"6.6.153\",\"lessThanOrEqual\":\"6.6.*\",\"versionType\":\"semver\",\"status\":\"unaffected\"},{\"version\":\"6.12.105\",\"lessThanOrEqual\":\"6.12.*\",\"versionType\":\"semver\",\"status\":\"unaffected\"},{\"version\":\"6.18.45\",\"lessThanOrEqual\":\"6.18.*\",\"versionType\":\"semver\",\"status\":\"unaffected\"},{\"version\":\"7.1.9\",\"lessThanOrEqual\":\"7.1.*\",\"versionType\":\"semver\",\"status\":\"unaffected\"},{\"version\":\"7.2\",\"lessThanOrEqual\":\"*\",\"versionType\":\"original_commit_for_fix\",\"status\":\"unaffected\"}]}]}],\"metrics\":{\"cvssMetricV31\":[{\"source\":\"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67\",\"type\":\"Secondary\",\"cvssData\":{\"version\":\"3.1\",\"vectorString\":\"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H\",\"baseScore\":9.8,\"baseSeverity\":\"CRITICAL\",\"attackVector\":\"NETWORK\",\"attackComplexity\":\"LOW\",\"privilegesRequired\":\"NONE\",\"userInteraction\":\"NONE\",\"scope\":\"UNCHANGED\",\"confidentialityImpact\":\"HIGH\",\"integrityImpact\":\"HIGH\",\"availabilityImpact\":\"HIGH\"},\"exploitabilityScore\":3.9,\"impactScore\":5.9}]},\"references\":[{\"url\":\"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1fc9f6d2c7c9fdb341bfe8ca449c990632299ea6\",\"source\":\"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67\"},{\"url\":\"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2195424c3da2ef1829a63b807e3a900a90e57d85\",\"source\":\"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67\"},{\"url\":\"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3c4919be5d910db4beebca420953858606fba7d8\",\"source\":\"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67\"},{\"url\":\"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4bc522b33438fefc3272840ae5988771863a4f1f\",\"source\":\"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67\"},{\"url\":\"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6b79659590f0f82a9b8efd2ffd55ec6399ebfc33\",\"source\":\"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67\"},{\"url\":\"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e92c7e2b41d1528a830bc64c5e4e46dfa8133dda\",\"source\":\"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67\"},{\"url\":\"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fdd9ac50b9b61ef2b2d52c5156aff788be91454d\",\"source\":\"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67\"}]}}",
"redhat_vex": {
"aggregate_severity": "Moderate",
"current_release_date": "2026-08-25T08:51:37+00:00",
"cve": "CVE-2026-74628",
"id": "CVE-2026-74628",
"initial_release_date": "2026-08-22T00:00:00+00:00",
"product_status:known_not_affected": "274",
"source": "Red Hat CSAF VEX",
"status": "final",
"title": "kernel: net/x25: fix use-after-free of the socket by its timers",
"url": "https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-74628.json",
"version": "3"
}
}
}
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Experimental. This forecast is provided for visualization only and may change without notice. Do not use it for operational decisions.
Forecast uses a logistic model when the trend is rising, or an exponential decay model when the trend is falling. Fitted via linearized least squares.
Sightings
| Author | Source | Type | Date | Other |
|---|
Nomenclature
- Seen: The vulnerability was mentioned, discussed, or observed by the user.
- Confirmed: The vulnerability has been validated from an analyst's perspective.
- Published Proof of Concept: A public proof of concept is available for this vulnerability.
- Exploited: The vulnerability was observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
- Patched: The vulnerability was observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.
- Not exploited: The vulnerability was not observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
- Not confirmed: The user expressed doubt about the validity of the vulnerability.
- Not patched: The vulnerability was not observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.
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The MITRE ATT&CK techniques below are AI-generated suggestions, inferred from the description of the
vulnerability by the CIRCL/vulnerability-attack-technique-classification-roberta-base
model, served locally by ML-Gateway.
They have not been verified by an analyst and are provided for guidance only.
The approach is described in our paper Mapping CVEs to MITRE ATT&CK Techniques: A Curated Gold-Set Classifier and the Limits of LLM-Assisted Label Expansion.
The approach is described in our paper Mapping CVEs to MITRE ATT&CK Techniques: A Curated Gold-Set Classifier and the Limits of LLM-Assisted Label Expansion.
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