CVE-2026-74628 (CVSS 9.8)

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 <[email protected]>

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CVSS v3.1 Score

9.8

CRITICAL

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS — Exploit Prediction

0.0050

Probability of exploitation

0.42%

Percentile rank

EPSS estimates the probability that this vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. A higher score means more likely to be exploited.

References

Other References

https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1fc9f6d2c7c9fdb341bfe8ca449c990632299ea6 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2195424c3da2ef1829a63b807e3a900a90e57d85 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3c4919be5d910db4beebca420953858606fba7d8 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4bc522b33438fefc3272840ae5988771863a4f1f https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6b79659590f0f82a9b8efd2ffd55ec6399ebfc33 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ba925a2e98ce967a0e71c5bcbcf5dbd3facaf0c8 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e92c7e2b41d1528a830bc64c5e4e46dfa8133dda https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fdd9ac50b9b61ef2b2d52c5156aff788be91454d

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-74628? +

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 <[email protected]> It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 (CRITICAL).

How severe is CVE-2026-74628? +

CVE-2026-74628 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 9.8 out of 10, rated CRITICAL. This is a critical vulnerability that should be patched immediately. The EPSS score is 0.0050, placing it in the 0th percentile for exploitation probability.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2026-74628? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

CVE-2026-74628