CVE-2026-45837
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: bpf: Fix use-after-free in arena_vm_close on fork arena_vm_open() only bumps vml->mmap_count but never registers the child VMA in arena->vma_list. The vml->vma always points at the parent VMA, so after parent munmap the pointer dangles. If the child then calls bpf_arena_free_pages(), zap_pages() reads the stale vml->vma triggering use-after-free. Fix this by preventing the arena VMA from being inherited across fork with VM_DONTCOPY, and preventing VMA splits via the may_split callback. Also reject mremap with a .mremap callback returning -EINVAL. A same-size mremap(MREMAP_FIXED) on the full arena VMA reaches copy_vma() through the following path: check_prep_vma() - returns 0 early: new_len == old_len skips VM_DONTEXPAND check prep_move_vma() - vm_start == old_addr and vm_end == old_addr + old_len so may_split is never called move_vma() copy_vma_and_data() copy_vma() vm_area_dup() - copies vm_private_data (vml pointer) vm_ops->open() - bumps vml->mmap_count vm_ops->mremap() - returns -EINVAL, rollback unmaps new VMA The refcount ensures the rollback's arena_vm_close does not free the vml shared with the original VMA.
Affected versions
Linux kernel versions
6.9
and later are affected. Fixed in
6.12.88,
6.18.30,
7.0.7,
7.1-rc1
and their respective stable series.
References
The following references provide additional information about CVE-2026-45837 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/201128fcc7b213d27ab77bc4e89488b41796480f
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PatchKernel patch commithttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4fddde2a732de60bb97e3307d4eb69ac5f1d2b74
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PatchKernel patch commithttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/723b9fa930cc277c15ce6b9ec9feec828cfac9d7
Frequently asked questions
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What is CVE-2026-45837?
CVE-2026-45837 is a unscored severity Linux kernel vulnerability . It affects Linux kernel versions from 6.9 onward and has been patched in 6.12.88, 6.18.30, 7.0.7 and others. CVE-2026-45837 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
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Is there a patch available for CVE-2026-45837?
Yes — CVE-2026-45837 has been patched. Fixed versions include 6.12.88, 6.18.30, 7.0.7 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 6.9 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.
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Is CVE-2026-45837 actively exploited?
No — CVE-2026-45837 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.