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Linux Kernel CVE-2026-74434

| EUVDEUVD-2026-59581 CRITICAL
2026-08-15 Linux GHSA-c2x8-r5f6-55c5
9.8
CVSS 3.1 · Vendor: Linux
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Severity by source

Vendor (Linux) PRIMARY
9.8 CRITICAL
AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
vuln.today AI
7.8 HIGH

Trigger is a local process calling recvmsg(MSG_PEEK) on an AF_RXRPC socket, so AV:L and PR:L (any local user, no elevation); deterministic race gives AC:L, and kernel memory corruption yields high C/I/A.

3.1 AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.0 AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
Red Hat
7.0 HIGH
qualitative

Primary rating from Vendor (Linux).

CVSS VectorVendor: Linux

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

Lifecycle Timeline

5
Analysis Generated
Aug 17, 2026 - 11:21 vuln.today
CVSS changed
Aug 17, 2026 - 06:22 NVD
9.8 (CRITICAL)
Patch available
Aug 15, 2026 - 07:19 EUVD
CVE Published
Aug 15, 2026 - 05:59 cve.org
CRITICAL 9.8
CVE Published
Aug 15, 2026 - 05:59 cve.org
UNKNOWN (no severity yet)

DescriptionCVE.org

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

rxrpc: Don't move a peeked OOB message onto the pending queue

rxrpc_recvmsg_oob() takes a received oob message off recvmsg_oobq and, if a response is needed, moves it onto the pending_oobq tree. However, only the unlink from recvmsg_oobq is guarded by MSG_PEEK; the move onto pending_oobq always runs.

As a result, reading a challenge with MSG_PEEK leaves the skb on recvmsg_oobq while also adding it to pending_oobq. Since struct sk_buff's rbnode shares storage with its next and prev pointers, rb_insert_color() overwrites the list linkage, and the skb, which holds a single reference, becomes reachable from both queues at once.

When the socket is closed both queues are drained in turn. While draining recvmsg_oobq, __skb_unlink() follows the next and prev pointers that rbnode has overwritten and writes to a bad address. Also, as the skb holds a single reference but is freed from each queue, both the skb and the connection reference it holds are released twice. This leads to memory corruption and to a use-after-free caused by the connection refcount underflow.

MSG_PEEK does not consume the message from the queue, so only unlink it from recvmsg_oobq and then move it onto pending_oobq or free it when the message is actually consumed.

AnalysisAI

Memory corruption and use-after-free in the Linux kernel's AF_RXRPC subsystem (rxrpc) let a local process trigger a double-free and connection refcount underflow by reading an out-of-band challenge message with MSG_PEEK. Because rxrpc_recvmsg_oob() guards only the unlink from recvmsg_oobq under MSG_PEEK but always moves the skb onto pending_oobq, the same singly-referenced skb becomes linked into both a list and an rbtree that share storage, corrupting linkage and freeing the skb and its connection reference twice on socket close. …

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Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata

Access
Gain local access on affected kernel
Delivery
Open AF_RXRPC socket and receive OOB challenge
Exploit
recvmsg with MSG_PEEK links skb to both queues
Execution
Close socket triggering double drain
Persist
Double-free and refcount underflow corrupt kernel memory
Impact
Escalate privileges or crash host

Vulnerability AssessmentAI

Exploitation Requires local access to a host running an affected kernel (~6.16 through 7.1.4 / early 7.x) with AF_RXRPC support compiled in and the rxrpc module loaded, plus the ability to open an AF_RXRPC socket and receive an out-of-band challenge message. … Additional conditions and limiting factors are described in the full assessment.
Risk Assessment The signals conflict and should be weighed rather than taken at face value. … Full risk analysis with EPSS, KEV, and SSVC signal comparison available after sign-in.
Exploit Scenario A local unprivileged user on an affected kernel opens an AF_RXRPC socket, receives an OOB challenge, and calls recvmsg with MSG_PEEK to leave the skb on recvmsg_oobq while it is also inserted into pending_oobq, then closes the socket so both queues are drained against the same singly-referenced skb. The resulting double-free and connection-refcount underflow corrupt kernel memory, which a skilled attacker could shape into local privilege escalation or use for denial of service; no public exploit is identified at time of analysis.
Remediation Primary fix: update to a patched stable kernel - 6.18.40 or later on the 6.18 series, 7.1.5 or later on the 7.1 series, or 7.2-rc1+ - corresponding to upstream commits 9ada3931, 5f470cc8, and 5801cff7 at git.kernel.org (Upstream fix available and released in stable trees per vendor). … Detailed patch versions, workarounds, and compensating controls in full report.

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Vendor StatusVendor

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CVE-2026-74434 vulnerability details – vuln.today

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