CVE-2026-72404 (GCVE-0-2026-72404)
Vulnerability from cvelistv5
Published
2026-08-15 05:56
Modified
2026-08-17 05:43
Severity ?
VLAI Severity ?
EPSS score ?
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
tipc: fix UAF in cleanup_bearer() due to premature dst_cache_destroy()
TIPC UDP media bearer teardown calls dst_cache_destroy() on its
replicast caches before calling synchronize_net() to wait for
concurrent RCU readers (transmitters) to finish:
static void cleanup_bearer(struct work_struct *work)
{
...
list_for_each_entry_safe(rcast, tmp, &ub->rcast.list, list) {
dst_cache_destroy(&rcast->dst_cache);
list_del_rcu(&rcast->list);
kfree_rcu(rcast, rcu);
}
...
dst_cache_destroy(&ub->rcast.dst_cache);
udp_tunnel_sock_release(ub->sk);
synchronize_net();
...
}
This is highly buggy because dst_cache_destroy() immediately frees the
per-CPU cache memory (free_percpu()) and releases the cached dst
entries without any synchronization.
If a concurrent transmitter (e.g., tipc_udp_xmit()) is running on another
CPU under RCU protection, it can call dst_cache_get() concurrently,
leading to:
1. Use-After-Free on the per-CPU cache pointer itself (crash).
2. "rcuref - imbalanced put()" warning if it attempts to release a
dst that was concurrently released by dst_cache_destroy().
Furthermore, calling kfree(ub) immediately after synchronize_net() without
closing the socket first (or waiting after closing it) leaves a window
where a concurrent receiver (tipc_udp_recv()) could start after
synchronize_net(), access ub, and suffer a UAF when kfree(ub) runs.
To fix this, we must defer dst_cache_destroy() and kfree(ub) until after
we have ensured that no more readers can see the bearer/socket and all
existing readers have finished:
1. Defer rcast entry destruction (both dst_cache_destroy() and kfree())
to an RCU callback using call_rcu_hurry().
Using call_rcu_hurry() ensures the dst entries are released quickly.
2. Release the bearer socket using udp_tunnel_sock_release() (stops
new receive readers).
3. Call synchronize_net() to wait for all outstanding RCU readers
(both transmit and receive) to finish.
4. Now that it is safe, call dst_cache_destroy() on the main bearer
cache, and free ub.
Note: 3) and 4) can be changed later in net-next to also use
call_rcu_hurry() and get rid of the synchronize_net() latency.
References
Impacted products
{
"containers": {
"cna": {
"affected": [
{
"defaultStatus": "unaffected",
"product": "Linux",
"programFiles": [
"net/tipc/udp_media.c"
],
"repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
"vendor": "Linux",
"versions": [
{
"lessThan": "1c8393eefa3cadf4ca0b61119ad1321aa32d3c8c",
"status": "affected",
"version": "e9c1a793210f29f32ee4cf048e04d7d9bb3221cc",
"versionType": "git"
},
{
"lessThan": "7116764ca53ff529335d7ab7c364a69f094b23a5",
"status": "affected",
"version": "e9c1a793210f29f32ee4cf048e04d7d9bb3221cc",
"versionType": "git"
}
]
},
{
"defaultStatus": "affected",
"product": "Linux",
"programFiles": [
"net/tipc/udp_media.c"
],
"repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
"vendor": "Linux",
"versions": [
{
"status": "affected",
"version": "5.3"
},
{
"lessThan": "5.3",
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "0",
"versionType": "semver"
},
{
"lessThanOrEqual": "7.1.*",
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "7.1.5",
"versionType": "semver"
},
{
"lessThanOrEqual": "*",
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "7.2",
"versionType": "original_commit_for_fix"
}
]
}
],
"cpeApplicability": [
{
"nodes": [
{
"cpeMatch": [
{
"criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
"versionEndExcluding": "7.1.5",
"versionStartIncluding": "5.3",
"vulnerable": true
},
{
"criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
"versionEndExcluding": "7.2",
"versionStartIncluding": "5.3",
"vulnerable": true
}
],
"negate": false,
"operator": "OR"
}
]
}
],
"descriptions": [
{
"lang": "en",
"value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\ntipc: fix UAF in cleanup_bearer() due to premature dst_cache_destroy()\n\nTIPC UDP media bearer teardown calls dst_cache_destroy() on its\nreplicast caches before calling synchronize_net() to wait for\nconcurrent RCU readers (transmitters) to finish:\n\nstatic void cleanup_bearer(struct work_struct *work)\n{\n...\n\tlist_for_each_entry_safe(rcast, tmp, \u0026ub-\u003ercast.list, list) {\n\t\tdst_cache_destroy(\u0026rcast-\u003edst_cache);\n\t\tlist_del_rcu(\u0026rcast-\u003elist);\n\t\tkfree_rcu(rcast, rcu);\n\t}\n...\n\tdst_cache_destroy(\u0026ub-\u003ercast.dst_cache);\n\tudp_tunnel_sock_release(ub-\u003esk);\n\tsynchronize_net();\n...\n}\n\nThis is highly buggy because dst_cache_destroy() immediately frees the\nper-CPU cache memory (free_percpu()) and releases the cached dst\nentries without any synchronization.\n\nIf a concurrent transmitter (e.g., tipc_udp_xmit()) is running on another\nCPU under RCU protection, it can call dst_cache_get() concurrently,\nleading to:\n1. Use-After-Free on the per-CPU cache pointer itself (crash).\n2. \"rcuref - imbalanced put()\" warning if it attempts to release a\n dst that was concurrently released by dst_cache_destroy().\n\nFurthermore, calling kfree(ub) immediately after synchronize_net() without\nclosing the socket first (or waiting after closing it) leaves a window\nwhere a concurrent receiver (tipc_udp_recv()) could start after\nsynchronize_net(), access ub, and suffer a UAF when kfree(ub) runs.\n\nTo fix this, we must defer dst_cache_destroy() and kfree(ub) until after\nwe have ensured that no more readers can see the bearer/socket and all\nexisting readers have finished:\n\n1. Defer rcast entry destruction (both dst_cache_destroy() and kfree())\n to an RCU callback using call_rcu_hurry().\n Using call_rcu_hurry() ensures the dst entries are released quickly.\n\n2. Release the bearer socket using udp_tunnel_sock_release() (stops\n new receive readers).\n\n3. Call synchronize_net() to wait for all outstanding RCU readers\n (both transmit and receive) to finish.\n\n4. Now that it is safe, call dst_cache_destroy() on the main bearer\n cache, and free ub.\n\nNote: 3) and 4) can be changed later in net-next to also use\ncall_rcu_hurry() and get rid of the synchronize_net() latency."
}
],
"metrics": [
{
"cvssV3_1": {
"baseScore": 7.8,
"baseSeverity": "HIGH",
"vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
"version": "3.1"
},
"scenarios": [
{
"lang": "en",
"value": "AV:L - The UAF is in cleanup_bearer() during UDP bearer teardown, reached only via TIPC genetlink bearer disable (TIPC_NL_BEARER_DISABLE) or network-namespace exit; remote UDP/TIPC peers cannot initiate teardown, so exploitation requires local netlink/netns access even though concurrent xmit/recv may involve network I/O.\nAC:L - An attacker with namespace CAP_NET_ADMIN can script both teardown and concurrent traffic (enable/disable bearer or destroy netns while sending/receiving TIPC UDP on port 6118), controlling both sides of the RCU race; dst_cache_destroy()\u0027s free_percpu() widens the window and syzbot triggered it reliably.\nPR:L - Bearer disable/enable and netns teardown require CAP_NET_ADMIN; TIPC genetlink ops use GENL_UNS_ADMIN_PERM and tipc_genl_family.netnsok=true, so unprivileged users obtain effective net-admin capability via user/network namespaces (unshare -Urn).\nUI:N - Exploitation needs no victim interaction beyond the attacker\u0027s own namespace/netlink operations and packet generation; no mount, file open, or other user-directed action is required.\nS:U - The use-after-free corrupts kernel heap memory within the same kernel security domain; impacts are kernel crash or local privilege escalation, not VM escape or cross-security-authority boundary crossing.\nC:H - Premature dst_cache_destroy() frees per-CPU cache memory while concurrent tipc_udp_xmit() may call dst_cache_get() on the freed object, and the post-synchronize_net() recv path dereferences freed udp_bearer, enabling kernel memory disclosure.\nI:H - UAF on dst_cache structures and udp_bearer allows heap shaping and control of freed-object contents, providing primitives for arbitrary kernel writes and potential control-flow hijacking/local privilege escalation.\nA:H - Concurrent use-after-free reliably causes kernel oops/panic (per commit: UAF on per-CPU cache pointer crashes) and can be triggered repeatedly during scripted bearer teardown loops."
}
]
}
],
"providerMetadata": {
"dateUpdated": "2026-08-17T05:43:44.084Z",
"orgId": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
"shortName": "Linux"
},
"references": [
{
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1c8393eefa3cadf4ca0b61119ad1321aa32d3c8c"
},
{
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7116764ca53ff529335d7ab7c364a69f094b23a5"
}
],
"title": "tipc: fix UAF in cleanup_bearer() due to premature dst_cache_destroy()",
"x_generator": {
"engine": "bippy-1.2.0"
}
}
},
"cveMetadata": {
"assignerOrgId": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
"assignerShortName": "Linux",
"cveId": "CVE-2026-72404",
"datePublished": "2026-08-15T05:56:28.124Z",
"dateReserved": "2026-08-09T03:40:39.925Z",
"dateUpdated": "2026-08-17T05:43:44.084Z",
"state": "PUBLISHED"
},
"dataType": "CVE_RECORD",
"dataVersion": "5.2"
}
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Sightings
| Author | Source | Type | Date |
|---|
Nomenclature
- Seen: The vulnerability was mentioned, discussed, or seen somewhere by the user.
- Confirmed: The vulnerability is confirmed from an analyst perspective.
- Published Proof of Concept: A public proof of concept is available for this vulnerability.
- Exploited: This vulnerability was exploited and seen by the user reporting the sighting.
- Patched: This vulnerability was successfully patched by the user reporting the sighting.
- Not exploited: This vulnerability was not exploited or seen by the user reporting the sighting.
- Not confirmed: The user expresses doubt about the veracity of the vulnerability.
- Not patched: This vulnerability was not successfully patched by the user reporting the sighting.
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