Critical severity · published Aug 15, 2026
CVE-2026-74478
um: vector: fix use-after-free in vector_mmsg_rx()
9.8
CVSS
0.9%
EPSS
No
On KEV
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
um: vector: fix use-after-free in vector_mmsg_rx()
When vector_mmsg_rx() discards a packet whose overlay header fails
verify_header(), it frees the skb and continues the loop:
if (header_check < 0) {
dev_kfree_skb_irq(skb);
vp->estats.rx_encaps_errors++;
continue;
}
The normal and short-packet paths fall through to the bottom of the
loop body, which clears the consumed slot and advances the cursors:
(*skbuff_vector) = NULL;
mmsg_vector++;
skbuff_vector++;
The verify_header() < 0 path skips that via continue, so the freed skb
is left in skbuff_vector[] and the cursors do not advance. The next
iteration reads the same slot, gets the freed skb, and frees it again,
producing a refcount underflow / use-after-free in the RX path.
Discard the slot the same way the other paths do before continuing.
Only transports whose verify_header() can return negative are affected:
GRE and L2TPv3 do so on a cookie/session-id mismatch (raw/tap do not),
so any peer on such a transport can trigger it without authentication.
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High
Scope
Unchanged
Exploitation
Is it being used?
Exploit prediction (EPSS)0.9% · higher than 58% of CVEs
Exploited in the wildNo evidence yet
CISA KEVNot listed
Ransomware campaign useNot known
Affected products
Which versions
LI
Linux · Linux
49da7e64f33e80edffb1a9eeb230fa4c3f42dffb before 967c779c9853d2a1cc9cd8e61d300250c348f3d9; 49da7e64f33e80edffb1a9eeb230fa4c3f42dffb before a7bc015bb798c525e7a82dd14225c6aeb994274b; 49da7e64f33e80edffb1a9eeb230fa4c3f42dffb before 7dc9781e320d664c9bdd50003c9acfddf363d1e1; 49da7e64f33e80edffb1a9eeb230fa4c3f42dffb before 4b9601595e8b6b5d18878cac0aeabc687d241111; 49da7e64f33e80edffb1a9eeb230fa4c3f42dffb before 67d58ab4f2ccf7145f3da07e025735a09c79de1b; 49da7e64f33e80edffb1a9eeb230fa4c3f42dffb before 180ff4c81faf01ec4e06082c9daa7c40518ead89; +3 more · source: vendor
References
NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-74478
CVE.org
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-74478
git.kernel.org
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/180ff4c81faf01ec4e06082c9daa7c40518ead89
git.kernel.org
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4b9601595e8b6b5d18878cac0aeabc687d241111
git.kernel.org
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/67d58ab4f2ccf7145f3da07e025735a09c79de1b
git.kernel.org
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7dc9781e320d664c9bdd50003c9acfddf363d1e1
git.kernel.org
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/804b681002ead233abf49a3efd681f5468a835f9
git.kernel.org
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/967c779c9853d2a1cc9cd8e61d300250c348f3d9
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