CVE-2026-43237
HighIn the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: drm/amdgpu: Refactor amdgpu_gem_va_ioctl for Handling Last Fence Update and Timeline Management v4 This commit simplifies the amdgpu_gem_va_ioctl function, key updates include: - Moved the logic for managing the last update fence directly into amdgpu_gem_va_update_vm. - Introduced checks for the timeline point to enable conditional replacement or addition of fences. v2: Addressed review comments from Christian. v3: Updated comments (Christian). v4: The previous version selected the fence too early and did not manage its reference correctly, which could lead to stale or freed fences being used. This resulted in refcount underflows and could crash when updating GPU timelines. The fence is now chosen only after the VA mapping work is completed, and its reference is taken safely. After exporting it to the VM timeline syncobj, the driver always drops its local fence reference, ensuring balanced refcounting and avoiding use-after-free on dma_fence. Crash signature: [ 205.828135] refcount_t: underflow; use-after-free. [ 205.832963] WARNING: CPU: 30 PID: 7274 at lib/refcount.c:28 refcount_warn_saturate+0xbe/0x110 ... [ 206.074014] Call Trace: [ 206.076488] <TASK> [ 206.078608] amdgpu_gem_va_ioctl+0x6ea/0x740 [amdgpu] [ 206.084040] ? __pfx_amdgpu_gem_va_ioctl+0x10/0x10 [amdgpu] [ 206.089994] drm_ioctl_kernel+0x86/0xe0 [drm] [ 206.094415] drm_ioctl+0x26e/0x520 [drm] [ 206.098424] ? __pfx_amdgpu_gem_va_ioctl+0x10/0x10 [amdgpu] [ 206.104402] amdgpu_drm_ioctl+0x4b/0x80 [amdgpu] [ 206.109387] __x64_sys_ioctl+0x96/0xe0 [ 206.113156] do_syscall_64+0x66/0x2d0 ... [ 206.553351] BUG: unable to handle page fault for address: ffffffffc0dfde90 ... [ 206.553378] RIP: 0010:dma_fence_signal_timestamp_locked+0x39/0xe0 ... [ 206.553405] Call Trace: [ 206.553409] <IRQ> [ 206.553415] ? __pfx_drm_sched_fence_free_rcu+0x10/0x10 [gpu_sched] [ 206.553424] dma_fence_signal+0x30/0x60 [ 206.553427] drm_sched_job_done.isra.0+0x123/0x150 [gpu_sched] [ 206.553434] dma_fence_signal_timestamp_locked+0x6e/0xe0 [ 206.553437] dma_fence_signal+0x30/0x60 [ 206.553441] amdgpu_fence_process+0xd8/0x150 [amdgpu] [ 206.553854] sdma_v4_0_process_trap_irq+0x97/0xb0 [amdgpu] [ 206.554353] edac_mce_amd(E) ee1004(E) [ 206.554270] amdgpu_irq_dispatch+0x150/0x230 [amdgpu] [ 206.554702] amdgpu_ih_process+0x6a/0x180 [amdgpu] [ 206.555101] amdgpu_irq_handler+0x23/0x60 [amdgpu] [ 206.555500] __handle_irq_event_percpu+0x4a/0x1c0 [ 206.555506] handle_irq_event+0x38/0x80 [ 206.555509] handle_edge_irq+0x92/0x1e0 [ 206.555513] __common_interrupt+0x3e/0xb0 [ 206.555519] common_interrupt+0x80/0xa0 [ 206.555525] </IRQ> [ 206.555527] <TASK> ... [ 206.555650] RIP: 0010:dma_fence_signal_timestamp_locked+0x39/0xe0 ... [ 206.555667] Kernel panic - not syncing: Fatal exception in interrupt
CVSS 3.1 score
7.8
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Weakness type
CWE-416CVE-2026-43237 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
6.16
and later are affected. Fixed in
6.18.16,
6.19.6,
7.0
and their respective stable series.
References
The following references provide additional information about CVE-2026-43237 including vendor advisories, patch commits, exploit details, and third-party analysis. Links are sourced from the NIST NVD database.
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PatchKernel patch commithttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0399b8416ecf64ef86ad23401fe23eabdb07831a
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PatchKernel patch commithttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/bd8150a1b3370a9f7761c5814202a3fe5a79f44f
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PatchKernel patch commithttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e9e477d3197f7d8955a042c0d7f53f78f13218ba
Frequently asked questions
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What is CVE-2026-43237?
CVE-2026-43237 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 6.16 onward and has been patched in 6.18.16, 6.19.6 and 7.0. CVE-2026-43237 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
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What is the CVSS score for CVE-2026-43237?
CVE-2026-43237 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-2026-43237?
Yes — CVE-2026-43237 has been patched. Fixed versions include 6.18.16, 6.19.6 and 7.0. If you are running Linux kernel 6.16 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.
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Is CVE-2026-43237 actively exploited?
No — CVE-2026-43237 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.
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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 →