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CVE-2026-74512

HIGHCVSS 7.8/10EPSS 0.13%

Last modified

CVE-2026-74512 is a high-severity vulnerability rated 7.8/10 on the CVSS scale. In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: audit: fix potential use-after-free in audit_del_rule() `audit_del_rule()` destroys `e->rule.exe` via `audit_remove_mark_rule()` before unlinking the rule from RCU-visible filter lists and waiting for a grace period. Concurrent readers in `audit_filter()` and `audit_filter_rules()` still dereference `e->rule.exe`, while the fsnotify mark can be freed on an independent lifetime path. EPSS estimates a 0.13% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: audit: fix potential use-after-free in audit_del_rule() `audit_del_rule()` destroys `e->rule.exe` via `audit_remove_mark_rule()` before unlinking the rule from RCU-visible filter lists and waiting for a grace period. Concurrent readers in `audit_filter()` and `audit_filter_rules()` still dereference `e->rule.exe`, while the fsnotify mark can be freed on an independent lifetime path. This creates a use-after-free window during rule deletion. Fix this by unlinking the rule from the RCU-visible lists and invoking `synchronize_rcu()` before calling `audit_remove_mark_rule()` (and other rule removal helpers). This ensures that all existing RCU readers have exited the critical section before any underlying resources are destroyed.

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>= 34d99af52ad40bd498ba66970579a5bc1fb1a3bc, < 93616c567469510b7bba55b2674e0c4523fd7e64; >= 34d99af52ad40bd498ba66970579a5bc1fb1a3bc, < 3f82927b399d7a276c0c12b6ff4424b747a0c9a7; >= 34d99af52ad40bd498ba66970579a5bc1fb1a3bc, < 8ae135a8962be9d4e8a131eb18eb06cdf02a47ce; >= 34d99af52ad40bd498ba66970579a5bc1fb1a3bc, < 45bf3df5b32e5a49953e7ceabc55f7dd85380e46; >= 34d99af52ad40bd498ba66970579a5bc1fb1a3bc, < 78bde7e9bd36eaae1b8e8cfcd47f12a34f301dbf; >= 34d99af52ad40bd498ba66970579a5bc1fb1a3bc, < cae0dfed5d307b240bff71c3cf206652d1b6f215; >= 34d99af52ad40bd498ba66970579a5bc1fb1a3bc, < 5b8f46864f06d6dbacb7dcea52bc084dfd122638; >= 34d99af52ad40bd498ba66970579a5bc1fb1a3bc, < 246df90b5f1a8a6e6abbd2f058b029558720adec
LinuxLinux4.3

References

Timeline

Published
Last Modified
Status
Received

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-74512?
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: audit: fix potential use-after-free in audit_del_rule() `audit_del_rule()` destroys `e->rule.exe` via `audit_remove_mark_rule()` before unlinking the rule from RCU-visible filter lists and waiting for a grace period. Concurrent readers in `audit_filter()` and `audit_filter_rules()` still dereference `e->rule.exe`, while the fsnotify mark can be freed on an independent lifetime path. This creates a use-after-free window during rule deletion. Fix this by unlinking the rule from the RCU-visible lists and invoking `synchronize_rcu()` before calling `audit_remove_mark_rule()` (and other rule removal helpers). This ensures that all existing RCU readers have exited the critical section before any underlying resources are destroyed.
How severe is CVE-2026-74512?
CVE-2026-74512 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-2026-74512?
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