CVE-2026-72404

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: tipc: fix UAF in cleanup_bearer() due to premature dst_cache_destroy() TIPC UDP media bearer teardown calls dst_cache_destroy() on its replicast caches before calling synchronize_net() to wait for concurrent RCU readers (transmitters) to finish: static void cleanup_bearer(struct work_struct *work) { ... list_for_each_entry_safe(rcast, tmp, &ub->rcast.list, list) { dst_cache_destroy(&rcast->dst_cache); list_del_rcu(&rcast->list); kfree_rcu(rcast, rcu); } ... dst_cache_destroy(&ub->rcast.dst_cache); udp_tunnel_sock_release(ub->sk); synchronize_net(); ... } This is highly buggy because dst_cache_destroy() immediately frees the per-CPU cache memory (free_percpu()) and releases the cached dst entries without any synchronization. If a concurrent transmitter (e.g., tipc_udp_xmit()) is running on another CPU under RCU protection, it can call dst_cache_get() concurrently, leading to: 1. Use-After-Free on the per-CPU cache pointer itself (crash). 2. "rcuref - imbalanced put()" warning if it attempts to release a dst that was concurrently released by dst_cache_destroy(). Furthermore, calling kfree(ub) immediately after synchronize_net() without closing the socket first (or waiting after closing it) leaves a window where a concurrent receiver (tipc_udp_recv()) could start after synchronize_net(), access ub, and suffer a UAF when kfree(ub) runs. To fix this, we must defer dst_cache_destroy() and kfree(ub) until after we have ensured that no more readers can see the bearer/socket and all existing readers have finished: 1. Defer rcast entry destruction (both dst_cache_destroy() and kfree()) to an RCU callback using call_rcu_hurry(). Using call_rcu_hurry() ensures the dst entries are released quickly. 2. Release the bearer socket using udp_tunnel_sock_release() (stops new receive readers). 3. Call synchronize_net() to wait for all outstanding RCU readers (both transmit and receive) to finish. 4. Now that it is safe, call dst_cache_destroy() on the main bearer cache, and free ub. Note: 3) and 4) can be changed later in net-next to also use call_rcu_hurry() and get rid of the synchronize_net() latency.

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2026-08-15
Last modified 2026-08-15
Patch available
Yes

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 5.3 and later are affected. Fixed in 7.1.5, 7.2-rc1 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 5.3
Fixed in
✓ 7.1.5 7.1.x ✓ 7.2-rc1

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2026-72404?

    CVE-2026-72404 is a unscored severity Linux kernel vulnerability . It affects Linux kernel versions from 5.3 onward and has been patched in 7.1.5 and 7.2-rc1. CVE-2026-72404 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • Is there a patch available for CVE-2026-72404?

    Yes. CVE-2026-72404 has been patched. Fixed versions include 7.1.5 and 7.2-rc1. If you are running Linux kernel 5.3 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2026-72404 actively exploited?

    No. CVE-2026-72404 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.