CVE-2026-31446

High

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ext4: fix use-after-free in update_super_work when racing with umount Commit b98535d09179 ("ext4: fix bug_on in start_this_handle during umount filesystem") moved ext4_unregister_sysfs() before flushing s_sb_upd_work to prevent new error work from being queued via /proc/fs/ext4/xx/mb_groups reads during unmount. However, this introduced a use-after-free because update_super_work calls ext4_notify_error_sysfs() -> sysfs_notify() which accesses the kobject's kernfs_node after it has been freed by kobject_del() in ext4_unregister_sysfs(): update_super_work ext4_put_super ----------------- -------------- ext4_unregister_sysfs(sb) kobject_del(&sbi->s_kobj) __kobject_del() sysfs_remove_dir() kobj->sd = NULL sysfs_put(sd) kernfs_put() // RCU free ext4_notify_error_sysfs(sbi) sysfs_notify(&sbi->s_kobj) kn = kobj->sd // stale pointer kernfs_get(kn) // UAF on freed kernfs_node ext4_journal_destroy() flush_work(&sbi->s_sb_upd_work) Instead of reordering the teardown sequence, fix this by making ext4_notify_error_sysfs() detect that sysfs has already been torn down by checking s_kobj.state_in_sysfs, and skipping the sysfs_notify() call in that case. A dedicated mutex (s_error_notify_mutex) serializes ext4_notify_error_sysfs() against kobject_del() in ext4_unregister_sysfs() to prevent TOCTOU races where the kobject could be deleted between the state_in_sysfs check and the sysfs_notify() call.

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2026-04-22
Last modified 2026-05-07
CVSS version 3.1
Patch available
Yes

CVSS 3.1 score

7.8

out of 10
High
Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High
Vector string
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Weakness type

CWE-416

CVE-2026-31446 is a Use After Free vulnerability

What is Use After Free?

The product references memory after it has been freed, which may cause it to crash, use unexpected values, or execute code. Learn more on MITRE CWE

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 5.15.38, 5.10.114, 5.17.6, 5.18 and later are affected. Fixed in 5.15.203, 6.1.168, 6.6.131, 6.12.80, 6.18.21, 6.19.11, 7.0 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 5.15.38 ≥ 5.10.114 ≥ 5.17.6 ≥ 5.18
Fixed in
✓ 5.15.203 5.15.x ✓ 6.1.168 6.1.x ✓ 6.6.131 6.6.x ✓ 6.12.80 6.12.x ✓ 6.18.21 6.18.x ✓ 6.19.11 6.19.x ✓ 7.0

References

The following references provide additional information about CVE-2026-31446 including vendor advisories, patch commits, exploit details, and third-party analysis. Links are sourced from the NIST NVD database.

7 patch commits total View all on NVD

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2026-31446?

    CVE-2026-31446 is a High severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 7.8 out of 10 , classified as an Use After Free flaw (CWE-416) . It affects Linux kernel versions from 5.15.38 onward and has been patched in 5.15.203, 6.1.168, 6.6.131 and others. CVE-2026-31446 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • What is the CVSS score for CVE-2026-31446?

    CVE-2026-31446 has a CVSS score of 7.8 out of 10, rated High severity (CVSS 3.1). The vector string is CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H .

  • Is there a patch available for CVE-2026-31446?

    Yes — CVE-2026-31446 has been patched. Fixed versions include 5.15.203, 6.1.168, 6.6.131 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 5.15.38 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2026-31446 actively exploited?

    No — CVE-2026-31446 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.

  • What is Use After Free (CWE-416)?

    The product references memory after it has been freed, which may cause it to crash, use unexpected values, or execute code. View CWE-416 on MITRE CWE →

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