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Linux Kernel CVE-2026-74506

| EUVDEUVD-2026-59699 HIGH
2026-08-15 Linux GHSA-437r-ppxq-jxxh
7.8
CVSS 3.1 · Vendor: Linux
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Severity by source

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

AV:L is confirmed local-only; AC:H reflects the race condition requiring CPU scheduling manipulation to reliably exploit; PR:L for local user performing AFS operations; full CIA impact warranted for kernel UAF.

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

Primary rating from Vendor (Linux).

CVSS VectorVendor: Linux

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

Lifecycle Timeline

5
Analysis Generated
Aug 17, 2026 - 11:55 vuln.today
CVSS changed
Aug 17, 2026 - 06:22 NVD
7.8 (HIGH)
Patch available
Aug 15, 2026 - 13:04 EUVD
CVE Published
Aug 15, 2026 - 12:27 cve.org
UNKNOWN (no severity yet)
CVE Published
Aug 15, 2026 - 12:27 cve.org
HIGH 7.8

DescriptionCVE.org

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

afs: Fix UAF when sending a message

In afs_make_call(), there's a race with async call reception and destruction. If a call is dispatched that doesn't have call->write_iter set (used to specify the data content for FS.StoreData), then the first rxrpc_kernel_send_data() will not set MSG_MORE in the msghdr.

Once rxrpc_send_data() queues the last request packet, the response could come in at any time and cause the call to be completed and put. However, afs_make_call() will look at the call again to see it ->write_iter should be handled - something it's only allowed to do if it has its own ref on the call. Whilst this is the case for synchronous calls, it isn't true for async calls such as FS.FetchData.

There's also a potential UAF in afs_make_call() in the event that an asynchronous call is being sent, but the call fails in some way (e.g. it gets aborted from the server). The problem there is that afs_make_call() tries to abort a call if the rxrpc send fails, but the asynchronous notification from rxrpc may have caused the afs_call to be torn down.

generic/650 plays games with randomly taking CPUs offline, and can interject a significant delay such that the call is deallocated before afs_make_call() gets to check call->write_iter - and a UAF ensues (caught by KASAN).

BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in afs_make_call+0x1c90/0x2210 [kafs] Read of size 8 at addr ffff888035e050e8 by task fsstress/1409

Fix this by making afs_make_op_call() give the op->call its own ref rather than transferring the caller's ref to it and then dropping the ref when afs_make_call() returns.

This also means that the afs_make_call() func never loses its ref on the call now.

AnalysisAI

Use-after-free in the Linux kernel's AFS (Andrew File System) subsystem exposes systems running the kafs module to kernel memory corruption exploitable by local low-privileged users, potentially enabling privilege escalation to root. The race condition in afs_make_call() allows the afs_call structure to be freed by an arriving async server response while the sending function - having transferred its reference rather than retaining one - continues to access the freed memory. …

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Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata

Recon
Local user accesses system with AFS volume mounted
Delivery
Initiates async FS.FetchData AFS operation
Exploit
Last rxrpc request packet queued without MSG_MORE
Install
Server response arrives; afs_call reference drops to zero and struct is freed
C2
afs_make_call() dereferences freed call->write_iter pointer
Execute
Kernel UAF triggers slab memory corruption
Impact
Privilege escalation to root achieved

Vulnerability AssessmentAI

Exploitation The kafs (kernel AFS) module must be compiled into or loaded on the target kernel - kernels without CONFIG_AFS_FS or where kafs is not loaded are entirely unaffected. … Additional conditions and limiting factors are described in the full assessment.
Risk Assessment The CVSS 7.8 High rating is structurally justified for a kernel UAF with local access, but several signals substantially narrow real-world risk. … Full risk analysis with EPSS, KEV, and SSVC signal comparison available after sign-in.
Exploit Scenario A local user account on a Linux system with the kafs module loaded and an AFS volume mounted initiates a rapid series of asynchronous AFS fetch operations (FS.FetchData). By manipulating CPU scheduling - for example, by toggling CPU hotplug state via /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpuN/online - the attacker widens the race window between the last rxrpc packet being queued and afs_make_call() reaching its call->write_iter check, causing the afs_call structure to be freed mid-access. …
Remediation The primary remediation is to upgrade to Linux kernel 6.18.44, 7.1.8, or 7.2-rc6 (or later), which incorporate the reference-counting fix across three stable-branch commits accessible at https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c0d3b81f703b2a9e37fe1347610a50cdf0078c27, https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/daaa726b14fc3026a6b328614d312b698f62f391, and https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4af1ec68d54b3871155914d584fb10669c41a861. … Detailed patch versions, workarounds, and compensating controls in full report.

Recommended ActionAI

Within 24 hours, identify all Linux systems running the kafs module by auditing kernel configurations and conducting system inventory. …

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Vendor StatusVendor

SUSE

Severity: Important
Product Status
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 15 SP7 Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 15 SP7 Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Availability Extension 15 SP7 Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Availability Extension 15 SP7 Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Availability Extension 16.0 Affected

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CVE-2026-74506 vulnerability details – vuln.today

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