CVE-2026-52982
CriticalIn the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: usb: rtl8150: fix use-after-free in rtl8150_start_xmit() syzbot reported a KASAN slab-use-after-free read in rtl8150_start_xmit() when accessing skb->len for tx statistics after usb_submit_urb() has been called: BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in rtl8150_start_xmit+0x71f/0x760 drivers/net/usb/rtl8150.c:712 Read of size 4 at addr ffff88810eb7a930 by task kworker/0:4/5226 The URB completion handler write_bulk_callback() frees the skb via dev_kfree_skb_irq(dev->tx_skb). The URB may complete on another CPU in softirq context before usb_submit_urb() returns in the submitter, so by the time the submitter reads skb->len the skb has already been queued to the per-CPU completion_queue and freed by net_tx_action(): CPU A (xmit) CPU B (USB completion softirq) ------------ ------------------------------ dev->tx_skb = skb; usb_submit_urb() --+ |-------> write_bulk_callback() | dev_kfree_skb_irq(dev->tx_skb) | net_tx_action() | napi_skb_cache_put() <-- free netdev->stats.tx_bytes | += skb->len; <-- UAF read Fix it by caching skb->len before submitting the URB and using the cached value when updating the tx_bytes counter. The pre-existing tx_bytes semantics are preserved: the counter tracks the original frame length (skb->len), not the ETH_ZLEN/USB-alignment padded "count" value that is handed to the device. Changing that would be a user-visible accounting change and is out of scope for this UAF fix.
CVSS 3.1 score
9.8
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Weakness type
CWE-416CVE-2026-52982 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
2.6.12
and later are affected. Fixed in
5.10.258,
5.15.209,
6.1.175,
6.6.141,
6.12.91,
6.18.33,
7.0.10,
7.1
and their respective stable series.
References
8 total-
Patch
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Frequently asked questions
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What is CVE-2026-52982?
CVE-2026-52982 is a Critical severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 9.8 out of 10 , classified as an Use After Free flaw (CWE-416) . It affects Linux kernel versions from 2.6.12 onward and has been patched in 5.10.258, 5.15.209, 6.1.175 and others. CVE-2026-52982 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-2026-52982?
CVE-2026-52982 has a CVSS score of 9.8 out of 10, rated Critical severity (CVSS 3.1). The vector string is
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. -
Is there a patch available for CVE-2026-52982?
Yes. CVE-2026-52982 has been patched. Fixed versions include 5.10.258, 5.15.209, 6.1.175 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 2.6.12 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.
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Is CVE-2026-52982 actively exploited?
No. CVE-2026-52982 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.