net/x25: fix use-after-free of the socket by its timers
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA.
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/x25: fix use-after-free of the socket by its timers The x25 timers are armed with mod_timer() and cancelled with timer_delete(), so a pending timer holds no reference on the socket and a cancel does not wait for a callback already running on another CPU. x25_heartbeat_expiry() also rearms unconditionally, so it can reinstall sk->sk_timer after __x25_destroy_socket() has passed its cancel point. The following __sock_put() frees the socket while the timer is still queued, and the next expiry uses freed memory. KASAN reports a slab-use-after-free on the kmalloc-2k object freed by close(). timer_delete_sync() cannot be used here: x25_heartbeat_expiry() and x25_timer_expiry() both reach the cancels from inside the timer they would wait on, through __x25_destroy_socket() and x25_disconnect(). Arm the timers with sk_reset_timer() and cancel them with sk_stop_timer() so that an armed timer owns a reference, and release it in both expiry handlers. Rearm the heartbeat only while sk_hashed(sk) is still true, since __x25_destroy_socket() unlinks the socket before dropping it. Arm the deferred destroy timer the same way and drop its reference in x25_destroy_timer(). Reproduced on net with KASAN, with the heartbeat period shortened so the window recurs. With this patch the reproducer no longer triggers a report and /proc/net/x25 drains. Discovered by XBOW, triaged by Baul Lee <[email protected]>
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 2.6.12 and later | 5.10.267, 5.15.217, 6.1.184, 6.6.153, 6.12.105, 6.18.45, 7.1.9, 7.2 | Patch available | CNA |
- Linux VendorLinux Affected 2.6.12 and later Fixed in 5.10.267, 5.15.217, 6.1.184, 6.6.153, 6.12.105, 6.18.45, 7.1.9, 7.2 Patch available CNA
Remediation
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.10.267, 5.15.217, 6.1.184, 6.6.153, 6.12.105, 6.18.45, 7.1.9, 7.2
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
Not affected: 5 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-74628
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-fp3m-qh7p-hcj7
- 2026-10-13 EPSS moved to the below the 50th percentile
References
Other 8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ba925a2e98ce967a0e71c5bcbcf5dbd3facaf0c8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6b79659590f0f82a9b8efd2ffd55ec6399ebfc33
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fdd9ac50b9b61ef2b2d52c5156aff788be91454d
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1fc9f6d2c7c9fdb341bfe8ca449c990632299ea6
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3c4919be5d910db4beebca420953858606fba7d8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4bc522b33438fefc3272840ae5988771863a4f1f
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e92c7e2b41d1528a830bc64c5e4e46dfa8133dda
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2195424c3da2ef1829a63b807e3a900a90e57d85
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Sources
- CVE-2026-74628 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-74628 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-fp3m-qh7p-hcj7 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-74628 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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