High severity · published Jun 25, 2026
CVE-2026-53248
net: airoha: Fix use-after-free in metadata dst teardown
8.8
CVSS
0.5%
EPSS
No
On KEV
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
net: airoha: Fix use-after-free in metadata dst teardown
airoha_metadata_dst_free() runs metadata_dst_free() which frees the
metadata_dst with kfree() immediately, bypassing the RCU grace period.
In the RX path, skb_dst_set_noref() sets a non-refcounted pointer from
the skb to the metadata_dst. This function requires RCU read-side
protection and the dst must remain valid until all RCU readers complete.
Since metadata_dst_free() calls kfree() directly, an use-after-free can
occur if any skb still holds a noref pointer to the dst when the driver
tears it down.
Replace metadata_dst_free() with dst_release() which properly goes
through the refcount path: when the refcount drops to zero, it schedules
the actual free via call_rcu_hurry(), ensuring all RCU readers have
completed before the memory is freed.
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
Required
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High
Scope
Unchanged
Exploitation
Is it being used?
Exploit prediction (EPSS)0.5% · higher than 45% of CVEs
Exploited in the wildNo evidence yet
CISA KEVNot listed
Ransomware campaign useNot known
Affected products
Which versions
KE
Kernel · Linux
6.15 before 6.18.36; 6.19 before 7.0.13; 7.1; 7.1; 7.1; 7.1; +2 more · source: NVD
LI
Linux · Linux
af3cf757d5c99011b9b94ea8d78aeaccc0153fdc before 6f829e2c17a53a35321268339cd252aff6d6d723; af3cf757d5c99011b9b94ea8d78aeaccc0153fdc before 4b5a574e033e66d2131eff1c18feef8d8643c67e; af3cf757d5c99011b9b94ea8d78aeaccc0153fdc before b38cae85d1c45ff189d7ecb6ac36f41cdc3d84d0; 6.15 · source: vendor
References
NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-53248
CVE.org
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-53248
Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4b5a574e033e66d2131eff1c18feef8d8643c67e
Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6f829e2c17a53a35321268339cd252aff6d6d723
Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b38cae85d1c45ff189d7ecb6ac36f41cdc3d84d0
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