CVE-2026-74478

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: um: vector: fix use-after-free in vector_mmsg_rx() When vector_mmsg_rx() discards a packet whose overlay header fails verify_header(), it frees the skb and continues the loop: if (header_check < 0) { dev_kfree_skb_irq(skb); vp->estats.rx_encaps_errors++; continue; } The normal and short-packet paths fall through to the bottom of the loop body, which clears the consumed slot and advances the cursors: (*skbuff_vector) = NULL; mmsg_vector++; skbuff_vector++; The verify_header() < 0 path skips that via continue, so the freed skb is left in skbuff_vector[] and the cursors do not advance. The next iteration reads the same slot, gets the freed skb, and frees it again, producing a refcount underflow / use-after-free in the RX path. Discard the slot the same way the other paths do before continuing. Only transports whose verify_header() can return negative are affected: GRE and L2TPv3 do so on a cookie/session-id mismatch (raw/tap do not), so any peer on such a transport can trigger it without authentication.

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

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 4.17 and later are affected. Fixed in 6.6.151, 6.12.103, 6.18.44, 7.1.8, 7.2-rc6 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 4.17
Fixed in
✓ 6.6.151 6.6.x ✓ 6.12.103 6.12.x ✓ 6.18.44 6.18.x ✓ 7.1.8 7.1.x ✓ 7.2-rc6

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2026-74478?

    CVE-2026-74478 is a unscored severity Linux kernel vulnerability . It affects Linux kernel versions from 4.17 onward and has been patched in 6.6.151, 6.12.103, 6.18.44 and others. CVE-2026-74478 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • Is there a patch available for CVE-2026-74478?

    Yes. CVE-2026-74478 has been patched. Fixed versions include 6.6.151, 6.12.103, 6.18.44 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 4.17 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2026-74478 actively exploited?

    No. CVE-2026-74478 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.