Linux kernel tipc: use-after-free of nodes found by link name
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- —
- 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.
Summary
tipc_node_find_by_name() returns a node after releasing its RCU read lock without taking a reference. The LINK_SET, LINK_GET and LINK_RESET_STATS netlink handlers then lock and access that node, while the node timer can free it once a down peer is cleaned up, which leads to a use-after-free. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 7.8 (HIGH) with local attack vector and low privileges required, and Red Hat rates it Moderate. CISA has not added it to KEV.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-06
Description from the CNA
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: tipc: hold a reference to nodes found by link name tipc_node_find_by_name() returns a node after dropping its RCU read lock without taking a reference. The LINK_SET, LINK_GET and LINK_RESET_STATS handlers then lock and access the node, racing with timer-driven cleanup of a down peer. Generic netlink serialization does not exclude the node timer. The following interleaving can leave a handler using a freed node: CPU 0: find the node under RCU and release the node read lock CPU 1: tipc_node_timeout() clears the links and unlinks the down node CPU 1: drop the list and timer references, queuing tipc_node_free() CPU 0: leave the RCU read-side critical section CPU 1: complete the grace period and free the node CPU 0: acquire the node lock through the stale pointer LINK_SET also uses the node's media address after releasing the node lock, when passing queued packets to tipc_bearer_xmit(). KASAN on v7.3-rc5 reported: BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in _raw_read_lock_bh Write of size 4 at addr ffff88807e06f008 by task poc/92 Call Trace: _raw_read_lock_bh kernel/locking/spinlock.c:287 tipc_nl_node_set_link net/tipc/node.c:2475 genl_family_rcv_msg_doit net/netlink/genetlink.c:1114 genl_rcv_msg net/netlink/genetlink.c:1209 netlink_rcv_skb net/netlink/af_netlink.c:2575 Allocated by task 0: tipc_node_create net/tipc/node.c:539 tipc_node_check_dest net/tipc/node.c:1196 tipc_disc_rcv net/tipc/discover.c:252 Freed by task 92: kfree mm/slub.c:6801 rcu_core kernel/rcu/tree.c:2919 Last potentially related work creation: __call_rcu_common.constprop.0 kernel/rcu/tree.c:3181 tipc_node_timeout net/tipc/node.c:814 Acquire a reference to the selected node with kref_get_unless_zero() before leaving RCU, returning NULL if the node has already been released. Release that reference on every caller exit after the last node access, including transmission in LINK_SET. Keep the existing link lookup order and locking so concurrent link removal still takes the existing error paths.
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 | 4.19 and later | 5.10.273, 5.15.224, 6.1.191, 6.6.160, 6.12.113, 6.18.57, 7.2.11, 7.3 | Patch available | CNA |
- Linux VendorLinux Affected 4.19 and later Fixed in 5.10.273, 5.15.224, 6.1.191, 6.6.160, 6.12.113, 6.18.57, 7.2.11, 7.3 Patch available CNA
Remediation
Update to a fixed Linux kernel release: 5.10.273, 5.15.224, 6.1.191, 6.6.160, 6.12.113, 6.18.57, 7.2.11 or 7.3. The fix takes a reference on the node with kref_get_unless_zero() before leaving the RCU read-side section and releases it after the last node access, including transmission in LINK_SET. Red Hat lists no fix plan for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8, 9 and 10, or for OpenShift Container Platform 4 and 5.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-06
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.10.273, 5.15.224, 6.1.191, 6.6.160, 6.12.113, 6.18.57, 7.2.11, 7.3
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 5 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
Not affected: 2 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
Timeline
- 2026-10-23 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-99053
- 2026-10-23 Alias added: GHSA-j7x4-wphj-g9x9
- 2026-10-24 CVSS score added · CNA
- 2026-10-24 Priority changed: LOW → MEDIUM
- 2026-10-24 Priority changed: MEDIUM → LOW
- 2026-10-27 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-27 CVSS score added · Red Hat
- 2026-10-30 Fix available: Linux/Linux@384edc67201f8561b7de952647b923f0524b1f36, Linux/[email protected], Linux/[email protected] +3 · CNA
- 2026-10-30 3 new references · CNA
- 2026-10-30 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
References
Other 8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/384edc67201f8561b7de952647b923f0524b1f36
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5b7e58e8be90f4e8530e7a60372d003dfa7fd666
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/92f3b3368722631e933a4db0cf8bd578ed08cd9c
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b60259d4047fbb735476c729dcf9306a038b6110
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f17e70206a1e763fcca2578a8db3c4eed0f843a9
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1428c5f1d346a2e1ac9156713975a72246957009
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3c3b308ee6e25729a6cf09b69cdd0e093220d40b
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/17e73bae400f6a434dc006e3bee92c94cf781954
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Sources
- CVE-2026-99053 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-99053 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-j7x4-wphj-g9x9 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-99053 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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