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CVE-2026-45251

HIGHCVSS 7.8/10EPSS 0.17%

Last modified

CVE-2026-45251 is a high-severity vulnerability rated 7.8/10 on the CVSS scale. A file descriptor can be closed while a thread is blocked in a poll(2) or select(2) call waiting for that descriptor. Because the blocked thread does not hold a reference to the underlying object, this closure may result in the object being freed while the thread remains blocked. EPSS estimates a 0.17% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

A file descriptor can be closed while a thread is blocked in a poll(2) or select(2) call waiting for that descriptor. Because the blocked thread does not hold a reference to the underlying object, this closure may result in the object being freed while the thread remains blocked. In this situation, the kernel must remove the blocked thread from the per-object wait queue prior to freeing the object. In the case of some file descriptor types, the kernel failed to unlink blocked threads from the object before freeing it. When the blocked thread is subsequently woken, it accesses memory that has already been freed resulting in a use-after-free vulnerability. The use-after-free vulnerability may be triggered by an unprivileged local user and can be exploited to obtain superuser privileges.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1
7.8/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS Probability
0.17%

6.7th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

Affected Software

VendorProductVersions
FreebsdFreebsd14.3
FreebsdFreebsd14.4
FreebsdFreebsd15.0

References

Timeline

Published
Last Modified
Status
Analyzed

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-45251?
A file descriptor can be closed while a thread is blocked in a poll(2) or select(2) call waiting for that descriptor. Because the blocked thread does not hold a reference to the underlying object, this closure may result in the object being freed while the thread remains blocked. In this situation, the kernel must remove the blocked thread from the per-object wait queue prior to freeing the object. In the case of some file descriptor types, the kernel failed to unlink blocked threads from the object before freeing it. When the blocked thread is subsequently woken, it accesses memory that has already been freed resulting in a use-after-free vulnerability. The use-after-free vulnerability may be triggered by an unprivileged local user and can be exploited to obtain superuser privileges.
How severe is CVE-2026-45251?
CVE-2026-45251 has a CVSS score of 7.8/10 (HIGH severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.17% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How do I fix CVE-2026-45251?
Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

Are you affected by CVE-2026-45251?

Run a free Strix scan to check your systems for this vulnerability.

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Source: NVD / NIST