Critical severity · published Aug 22, 2026
CVE-2026-74628
net/x25: fix use-after-free of the socket by its timers
9.8
CVSS
0.5%
EPSS
No
On KEV
Description
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 <baul.lee@xbow.com>
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)0.5% · higher than 43% of CVEs
Exploited in the wildNo evidence yet
CISA KEVNot listed
Ransomware campaign useNot known
Affected products
Which versions
LI
Linux · Linux
1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 before ba925a2e98ce967a0e71c5bcbcf5dbd3facaf0c8; 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 before 6b79659590f0f82a9b8efd2ffd55ec6399ebfc33; 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 before fdd9ac50b9b61ef2b2d52c5156aff788be91454d; 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 before 1fc9f6d2c7c9fdb341bfe8ca449c990632299ea6; 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 before 3c4919be5d910db4beebca420953858606fba7d8; 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 before 4bc522b33438fefc3272840ae5988771863a4f1f; +3 more · source: vendor
References
NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-74628
CVE.org
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-74628
git.kernel.org
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1fc9f6d2c7c9fdb341bfe8ca449c990632299ea6
git.kernel.org
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2195424c3da2ef1829a63b807e3a900a90e57d85
git.kernel.org
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3c4919be5d910db4beebca420953858606fba7d8
git.kernel.org
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4bc522b33438fefc3272840ae5988771863a4f1f
git.kernel.org
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6b79659590f0f82a9b8efd2ffd55ec6399ebfc33
git.kernel.org
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ba925a2e98ce967a0e71c5bcbcf5dbd3facaf0c8
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