CVE-2026-31578

High

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: media: as102: fix to not free memory after the device is registered in as102_usb_probe() In as102_usb driver, the following race condition occurs: ``` CPU0 CPU1 as102_usb_probe() kzalloc(); // alloc as102_dev_t .... usb_register_dev(); fd = sys_open("/path/to/dev"); // open as102 fd .... usb_deregister_dev(); .... kfree(); // free as102_dev_t .... sys_close(fd); as102_release() // UAF!! as102_usb_release() kfree(); // DFB!! ``` When a USB character device registered with usb_register_dev() is later unregistered (via usb_deregister_dev() or disconnect), the device node is removed so new open() calls fail. However, file descriptors that are already open do not go away immediately: they remain valid until the last reference is dropped and the driver's .release() is invoked. In as102, as102_usb_probe() calls usb_register_dev() and then, on an error path, does usb_deregister_dev() and frees as102_dev_t right away. If userspace raced a successful open() before the deregistration, that open FD will later hit as102_release() --> as102_usb_release() and access or free as102_dev_t again, occur a race to use-after-free and double-free vuln. The fix is to never kfree(as102_dev_t) directly once usb_register_dev() has succeeded. After deregistration, defer freeing memory to .release(). In other words, let release() perform the last kfree when the final open FD is closed.

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2026-04-24
Last modified 2026-06-01
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
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High
Vector string
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Weakness type

CWE-416

CVE-2026-31578 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 3.14 and later are affected. Fixed in 5.10.258, 5.15.209, 6.1.175, 6.6.136, 6.12.83, 6.18.24, 6.19.14, 7.0.1, 7.1-rc1 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 3.14
Fixed in
✓ 5.10.258 5.10.x ✓ 5.15.209 5.15.x ✓ 6.1.175 6.1.x ✓ 6.6.136 6.6.x ✓ 6.12.83 6.12.x ✓ 6.18.24 6.18.x ✓ 6.19.14 6.19.x ✓ 7.0.1 7.0.x ✓ 7.1-rc1

References

The following references provide additional information about CVE-2026-31578 including vendor advisories, patch commits, exploit details, and third-party analysis. Links are sourced from the NIST NVD database.

9 patch commits total View all on NVD

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2026-31578?

    CVE-2026-31578 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 3.14 onward and has been patched in 5.10.258, 5.15.209, 6.1.175 and others. CVE-2026-31578 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • What is the CVSS score for CVE-2026-31578?

    CVE-2026-31578 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:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H .

  • Is there a patch available for CVE-2026-31578?

    Yes — CVE-2026-31578 has been patched. Fixed versions include 5.10.258, 5.15.209, 6.1.175 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 3.14 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2026-31578 actively exploited?

    No — CVE-2026-31578 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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