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TI-2026-10139 Aliases CVE-2026-11742

Use-after-free race in kernel `k_queue_peek_head/tail` due to missing spinlock

Priority LOW 16CWE-416Published · Updated

Key facts

Attack vector
Local
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
None
Attack complexity
High
Impact type
—
Confidentiality · integrity · availability
Low · None · Low
Fix status
Fixed

Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA.

Summary

The kernel queue helper z_queue_node_peek() in kernel/queue.c dereferences a node taken from a queue's data_q list, reading the node's flag byte and, for items enqueued via k_queue_alloc_append/alloc_prepend, the data pointer of an internally allocated alloc_node struct. The implementations of z_impl_k_queue_peek_head() and z_impl_k_queue_peek_tail() performed this read-and-dereference without holding the queue's spinlock, while every other accessor of the same list — including k_queue_get(), which unlinks a node and k_free()s its backing alloc_node — operates under that lock. Because peek was unsynchronized, a concurrent k_queue_get() on the same queue (on an SMP build, or under preemption/ISR concurrency) can free the node between the moment peek obtains the node pointer and the moment it dereferences it. The peek then reads flag bits and a data pointer out of freed, potentially re-allocated heap memory and returns a stale or dangling pointer to its caller. k_fifo and k_lifo are thin wrappers over k_queue, so this affects buffer queues used throughout the net_buf, Bluetooth, USB, and networking subsystems; the peek operations are also system calls reachable from CONFIG_USERSPACE threads. The consequences are a use-after-free read that can leak stale heap contents (one pointer word) and, when the returned dangling pointer is subsequently consumed as a live buffer, a dereference that can crash the system or corrupt memory. Exploitation requires winning a small race window with local access (e.g. a userspace process racing k_queue_peek_* against k_queue_get on a shared queue, or two CPUs), so practical impact is bounded and of low severity. The fix wraps both peek implementations with k_spin_lock/k_spin_unlock on the queue lock, making the read-and-dereference atomic with respect to the concurrent unlink-and-free and bringing peek into line with the rest of the queue's locking discipline.

Why it matters now

Exploitation None reported CISA SSVC · not in CISA KEV
EPSS 0.00127 2nd percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Fixed zephyr (zephyrproject): 4.3.2, 4.4.2

SSVC decision points

CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3

Exploitation
None
Automatable
No
Technical impact
Partial

The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.

Affected products

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed inStatusSource
zephyrprojectzephyr1.12.0 to before 4.3.2; 4.4.0 to before 4.4.24.3.2, 4.4.2Patch availableCNA
  • zephyr Vendorzephyrproject Affected 1.12.0 to before 4.3.2; 4.4.0 to before 4.4.2 Fixed in 4.3.2, 4.4.2 Patch available CNA

CPE names Threatist (inferred) · 1

Inferred from how NVD named this product before; not given by a source.

CPEVersionsRoleVendor
cpe:2.3:o:zephyrproject:zephyr:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*——zephyrproject
  • cpe:2.3:o:zephyrproject:zephyr:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions — — ·zephyrproject

Remediation

  • Fix · CNA zephyr (zephyrproject) Fixed in 4.3.2, 4.4.2

Fixed in the same release

Records fixed by the same vendor advisory or release, as the CNA lists them.

  • Release ·

    zephyrproject zephyr 4.3.2, 4.4.2

    2 records Highest priority Priority LOW 2 LOW

    Other records, highest priority first

    • TI-2026-10140 Missing negative-offset/overflow check in SF32LB MPI QSPI NOR flash driver allows out-of-bounds read and writePriority LOW 28

Timeline

  1. 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-11742
  2. 2026-11-04 Fix available: [email protected] · CNA

References

  • TI-2026-04422 Out-of-bounds read/write in HTTP WebSocket upgrade via non-null-terminated Sec-WebSocket-Key CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
  • TI-2026-01361 dns: memory‑safety issue in the DNS name parser CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
  • TI-2026-09174 Unterminated URI buffer causes out-of-bounds read in LwM2M firmware pull (Package URI) CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.1
  • TI-2026-09168 Stack buffer overflow in `net_ipaddr_parse()` IPv4 address-with-port parsing in `subsys/net/ip/utils.c` CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
  • TI-2024-09625 net: lib: http_server: Buffer Under-read CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.6
  • TI-2021-02863 Usb bluetooth device ACL read cb buffer overflow CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.6
See all 341 →

Sources

This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences