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TI-2026-45369 Aliases CVE-2026-63803GHSA-3hpx-wjcg-9r3x

hdlc_ppp: sync per-proto timers before freeing hdlc state

Priority LOW 35CWE-416Published · Updated

Key facts

Attack vector
Local
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
None
Attack complexity
Low
Impact type
Code execution
Confidentiality · integrity · availability
High · High · High
Fix status
Partial Red Hat: 5 without a fix

Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-416 and the CVSS impact.

Summary

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: hdlc_ppp: sync per-proto timers before freeing hdlc state Each PPP control protocol (LCP/IPCP/IPV6CP) embedded in struct ppp registers a timer via timer_setup(). That struct ppp is the hdlc->state allocation, which detach_hdlc_protocol() frees with kfree() in both teardown paths: unregister_hdlc_device() and the re-attach inside attach_hdlc_protocol(). The ppp proto never registered a .detach callback, so detach_hdlc_protocol() performs no timer synchronization before the kfree(). The only cancel, timer_delete(&proto->timer) in ppp_cp_event(), is partial (it does not wait for a running callback) and only runs on the ->CLOSED transition; ppp_stop()/ppp_close() do not sync either. A ppp_timer callback already executing (blocked on ppp->lock) survives the kfree and then dereferences proto->state / ppp->lock in freed memory, leading to a use-after-free. Fix this by adding a .detach helper that calls timer_shutdown_sync() on every per-proto timer. detach_hdlc_protocol() invokes proto->detach(dev) before kfree(hdlc->state), so timer_shutdown_sync() now runs on both free paths. timer_shutdown_sync() is used instead of timer_delete_sync() because the keepalive path re-arms the timer through add_timer()/mod_timer() and shutdown blocks any re-activation during teardown. Initialize the per-protocol timers in ppp_ioctl() when the protocol is attached, and remove the now-redundant timer_setup() from ppp_start(), so that the timers are initialized exactly once at attach time and ppp_timer_release() never operates on uninitialized timer_list structures. attach_hdlc_protocol() uses kmalloc() (not kzalloc), so struct ppp's protos[i].timer is uninitialized garbage until the first timer_setup(); without this init-at-attach, attaching the PPP protocol without ever bringing the device up would leave timer_shutdown_sync() operating on uninitialized memory in .detach. Moving the init out of ppp_start() (which only runs on NETDEV_UP) into the attach path makes the initialization unconditional and avoids initializing the same timer_list twice. This bug was found by static analysis.

Why it matters now

Exploitation None reported CISA SSVC · not in CISA KEV
EPSS 0.00133 2nd percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Partial Linux (Linux): 5.10.261, 5.15.211, 6.1.177 +5Red Hat: 5 without a fix

SSVC decision points

CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3

Exploitation
None
Automatable
No
Technical impact
Total

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

Affected products

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed inStatusSource
LinuxLinux2.6.12 and later5.10.261, 5.15.211, 6.1.177, 6.6.144, 6.12.95, 6.18.38, 7.1.3, 7.2Patch availableCNA
  • Linux VendorLinux Affected 2.6.12 and later Fixed in 5.10.261, 5.15.211, 6.1.177, 6.6.144, 6.12.95, 6.18.38, 7.1.3, 7.2 Patch available CNA

CPE configurations NVD · 6

CPEVersionsRoleVendor
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*2.6.12.1 to before 5.10.261; 5.11 to before 5.15.211; 5.16 to before 6.1.177; 6.2 to before 6.6.144; 6.7 to before 6.12.95; 6.13 to before 6.18.38; 6.19 to before 7.1.3VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.6.12:-:*:*:*:*:*:*2.6.12VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.6.12:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*2.6.12 rc2VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.6.12:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*2.6.12 rc3VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.6.12:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:*2.6.12 rc4VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.6.12:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:*2.6.12 rc5VulnerableLinux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 2.6.12.1 to before 5.10.261; 5.11 to before 5.15.211; 5.16 to before 6.1.177; 6.2 to before 6.6.144; 6.7 to before 6.12.95; 6.13 to before 6.18.38; 6.19 to before 7.1.3 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.6.12:-:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 2.6.12 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.6.12:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 2.6.12 rc2 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.6.12:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 2.6.12 rc3 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.6.12:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 2.6.12 rc4 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.6.12:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 2.6.12 rc5 Vulnerable ·Linux

Remediation

  • Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.10.261, 5.15.211, 6.1.177, 6.6.144, 6.12.95, 6.18.38, 7.1.3, 7.2

Vendor assessments

Red Hat

Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →

ProductStatusPlan or fix
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10AffectedNo fix yet: Fix deferred
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6AffectedNo fix planned: Out of support scope
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7AffectedNo fix yet: Fix deferred
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8AffectedNo fix yet: Fix deferred
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9AffectedNo fix yet: Fix deferred

Timeline

  1. 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-63803
  2. 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-3hpx-wjcg-9r3x
  3. 2026-10-13 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
  4. 2026-10-16 CISA SSVC decision points changed
  5. 2026-10-19 Weakness changed · CISA ADP

References

  • TI-2025-26358 tls: fix handling of zero-length records on the rx_list KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
  • TI-2026-38352 netfilter: bridge: make ebt_snat ARP rewrite writable KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
  • TI-2013-05264 The (1) get_user and (2) put_user API functions in the Linux kernel before 3.5.5 on the… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
  • TI-2022-00125 Integer overflow in kernel KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
  • TI-2013-01864 The perf_swevent_init function in kernel/events/core.c in the Linux kernel before 3.8.9… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
  • TI-2021-05514 Heap Out-Of-Bounds Write in Netfilter IP6T_SO_SET_REPLACE KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.3
See all 15278 →

Sources