CVE-2026-53389

HIGHCVSS 7.8/10EPSS 0.13%

Last modified

CVE-2026-53389 is a high-severity vulnerability rated 7.8/10 on the CVSS scale. In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/tcp-ao: fix use-after-free of key in del_async path In tcp_ao_delete_key(), the del_async path skips the current_key and rnext_key validity checks present in the synchronous path, assuming these pointers are always NULL on LISTEN sockets. However, if a key was added with set_current=1/set_rnext=1 while the socket was in CLOSE state, current_key and rnext_key will be non-NULL after listen() transitions the socket to LISTEN. When such a key is deleted with del_async=1, hlist_del_rcu() and call_rcu() free the key without clearing the dangling pointers. After the RCU grace period, getsockopt(TCP_AO_INFO) dereferences current_key->sndid and rnext_key->rcvid from freed slab memory. Clear current_key and rnext_key in the del_async path when they reference the key being deleted.. EPSS estimates a 0.13% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/tcp-ao: fix use-after-free of key in del_async path In tcp_ao_delete_key(), the del_async path skips the current_key and rnext_key validity checks present in the synchronous path, assuming these pointers are always NULL on LISTEN sockets. However, if a key was added with set_current=1/set_rnext=1 while the socket was in CLOSE state, current_key and rnext_key will be non-NULL after listen() transitions the socket to LISTEN. When such a key is deleted with del_async=1, hlist_del_rcu() and call_rcu() free the key without clearing the dangling pointers. After the RCU grace period, getsockopt(TCP_AO_INFO) dereferences current_key->sndid and rnext_key->rcvid from freed slab memory. Clear current_key and rnext_key in the del_async path when they reference the key being deleted.

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
0.13%

2.6th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Affected Software

Source: CNA advisory (CVE.org). NVD analysis pending.

VendorProductVersions
LinuxLinux>= d6732b95b6fbbc6d5bb9d2f809e275763640c4a2, < 6ce7ef41743740ce15c2061561b784148b565b3f; >= d6732b95b6fbbc6d5bb9d2f809e275763640c4a2, < e77fbefd1269b5c123e7c651a1ebdce1b87d19a0; >= d6732b95b6fbbc6d5bb9d2f809e275763640c4a2, < 7ddc29a094d96e9b3aa280433c6dc443df9eabf2; >= d6732b95b6fbbc6d5bb9d2f809e275763640c4a2, < 5ba9950bc9078e19b69cca1e56d1553b125c6857
LinuxLinux6.7

References

Timeline

Published
Last Modified
Status
Awaiting Analysis

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-53389?
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/tcp-ao: fix use-after-free of key in del_async path In tcp_ao_delete_key(), the del_async path skips the current_key and rnext_key validity checks present in the synchronous path, assuming these pointers are always NULL on LISTEN sockets. However, if a key was added with set_current=1/set_rnext=1 while the socket was in CLOSE state, current_key and rnext_key will be non-NULL after listen() transitions the socket to LISTEN. When such a key is deleted with del_async=1, hlist_del_rcu() and call_rcu() free the key without clearing the dangling pointers. After the RCU grace period, getsockopt(TCP_AO_INFO) dereferences current_key->sndid and rnext_key->rcvid from freed slab memory. Clear current_key and rnext_key in the del_async path when they reference the key being deleted.
How severe is CVE-2026-53389?
CVE-2026-53389 has a CVSS score of 7.8/10 (HIGH severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.13% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How do I fix CVE-2026-53389?
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.

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Source: NVD / NIST