CVE-2026-74512
audit: fix potential use-after-free in audit_del_rule()
- State
- Published
- Severity
- 7.8 High
- Published
- Aug 15, 2026
- Updated
- Oct 16, 2026
- Reserved
- Aug 15, 2026
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
audit: fix potential use-after-free in audit_del_rule()
`audit_del_rule()` destroys `e->rule.exe` via `audit_remove_mark_rule()` before unlinking the rule from RCU-visible filter lists and waiting for a grace period. Concurrent readers in `audit_filter()` and `audit_filter_rules()` still dereference `e->rule.exe`, while the fsnotify mark can be freed on an independent lifetime path. This creates a use-after-free window during rule deletion.
Fix this by unlinking the rule from the RCU-visible lists and invoking `synchronize_rcu()` before calling `audit_remove_mark_rule()` (and other rule removal helpers). This ensures that all existing RCU readers have exited the critical section before any underlying resources are destroyed.
Scores
| CVSS | Score | Vector | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.1 | 7.8 High | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H | Linux |
Weaknesses
The record names no weakness.
Affected Products
| Product | Versions |
|---|---|
LinuxLinux |
|
LinuxLinux |
|
References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/93616c567469510b7bba55b2674e0c4523fd7e64
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3f82927b399d7a276c0c12b6ff4424b747a0c9a7
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8ae135a8962be9d4e8a131eb18eb06cdf02a47ce
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/45bf3df5b32e5a49953e7ceabc55f7dd85380e46
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/78bde7e9bd36eaae1b8e8cfcd47f12a34f301dbf
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/cae0dfed5d307b240bff71c3cf206652d1b6f215
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5b8f46864f06d6dbacb7dcea52bc084dfd122638
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/246df90b5f1a8a6e6abbd2f058b029558720adec
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