CVE-2026-74512 (GCVE-0-2026-74512)

Vulnerability from cvelistv5 – Published: 2026-08-15 12:27 – Updated: 2026-08-19 16:38
VLAI
Title
audit: fix potential use-after-free in audit_del_rule()
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: audit: fix potential use-after-free in audit_del_rule() `audit_del_rule()` destroys `e->rule.exe` via `audit_remove_mark_rule()` before unlinking the rule from RCU-visible filter lists and waiting for a grace period. Concurrent readers in `audit_filter()` and `audit_filter_rules()` still dereference `e->rule.exe`, while the fsnotify mark can be freed on an independent lifetime path. This creates a use-after-free window during rule deletion. Fix this by unlinking the rule from the RCU-visible lists and invoking `synchronize_rcu()` before calling `audit_remove_mark_rule()` (and other rule removal helpers). This ensures that all existing RCU readers have exited the critical section before any underlying resources are destroyed.
Severity
7.8 (High)
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Assigner
References
Impacted products
Vendor Product Version CPE status
Linux Linux Affected: 34d99af52ad40bd498ba66970579a5bc1fb1a3bc , < 93616c567469510b7bba55b2674e0c4523fd7e64 (git)
Affected: 34d99af52ad40bd498ba66970579a5bc1fb1a3bc , < 3f82927b399d7a276c0c12b6ff4424b747a0c9a7 (git)
Affected: 34d99af52ad40bd498ba66970579a5bc1fb1a3bc , < 8ae135a8962be9d4e8a131eb18eb06cdf02a47ce (git)
Affected: 34d99af52ad40bd498ba66970579a5bc1fb1a3bc , < 45bf3df5b32e5a49953e7ceabc55f7dd85380e46 (git)
Affected: 34d99af52ad40bd498ba66970579a5bc1fb1a3bc , < 78bde7e9bd36eaae1b8e8cfcd47f12a34f301dbf (git)
Affected: 34d99af52ad40bd498ba66970579a5bc1fb1a3bc , < cae0dfed5d307b240bff71c3cf206652d1b6f215 (git)
Affected: 34d99af52ad40bd498ba66970579a5bc1fb1a3bc , < 5b8f46864f06d6dbacb7dcea52bc084dfd122638 (git)
Affected: 34d99af52ad40bd498ba66970579a5bc1fb1a3bc , < 246df90b5f1a8a6e6abbd2f058b029558720adec (git)
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Linux Linux Affected: 4.3
Unaffected: 0 , < 4.3 (semver)
Unaffected: 5.10.265 , ≤ 5.10.* (semver)
Unaffected: 5.15.216 , ≤ 5.15.* (semver)
Unaffected: 6.1.183 , ≤ 6.1.* (semver)
Unaffected: 6.6.151 , ≤ 6.6.* (semver)
Unaffected: 6.12.103 , ≤ 6.12.* (semver)
Unaffected: 6.18.44 , ≤ 6.18.* (semver)
Unaffected: 7.1.8 , ≤ 7.1.* (semver)
Unaffected: 7.2 , ≤ * (original_commit_for_fix)
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          "value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\naudit: fix potential use-after-free in audit_del_rule()\n\n`audit_del_rule()` destroys `e-\u003erule.exe` via `audit_remove_mark_rule()`\nbefore unlinking the rule from RCU-visible filter lists and waiting for a\ngrace period. Concurrent readers in `audit_filter()` and\n`audit_filter_rules()` still dereference `e-\u003erule.exe`, while the fsnotify\nmark can be freed on an independent lifetime path. This creates a\nuse-after-free window during rule deletion.\n\nFix this by unlinking the rule from the RCU-visible lists and invoking\n`synchronize_rcu()` before calling `audit_remove_mark_rule()` (and other\nrule removal helpers). This ensures that all existing RCU readers have\nexited the critical section before any underlying resources are destroyed."
        }
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            "version": "3.1"
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              "value": "AV:L - Reachable only via local NETLINK_AUDIT (AUDIT_DEL_RULE) or filesystem events that autoremove AUDIT_EXE rules; concurrent UAF readers run in syscall/io_uring exit audit filtering on the local host, not from remote network input.\nAC:L - The attacker controls both sides of the race by deleting an AUDIT_EXE rule (auditctl or deleting/moving the audited executable) while driving concurrent syscall/io_uring activity to keep RCU readers in audit_filter()/audit_filter_rules().\nPR:L - Besides CAP_AUDIT_CONTROL netlink deletion, unprivileged local users can trigger audit_del_rule() via fsnotify autoremove when deleting/moving an admin-configured audited executable they can write, without init-namespace root.\nUI:N - Exploitation requires no victim interaction; the attacker schedules rule deletion and concurrent audited syscalls/io_uring exits to hit the UAF window.\nS:U - Impact is kernel heap memory corruption and local privilege escalation within the host kernel security domain, not a documented cross-VM or IOMMU boundary escape.\nC:H - Use-after-free of audit_fsnotify_mark while audit_exe_compare()/audit_mark_compare() dereference mark-\u003eino/dev enables arbitrary kernel memory reads and info disclosure primitives.\nI:H - Freed fsnotify mark objects can be reallocated and corrupted to obtain arbitrary kernel writes, control-flow hijack, and local root code execution beyond audit rule deletion.\nA:H - Concurrent dereference of a freed audit_fsnotify_mark during audit filtering can immediately oops/panic the kernel; repeated triggering yields reliable denial of service."
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      "title": "audit: fix potential use-after-free in audit_del_rule()",
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      "version": "1"
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This creates a\\nuse-after-free window during rule deletion.\\n\\nFix this by unlinking the rule from the RCU-visible lists and invoking\\n`synchronize_rcu()` before calling `audit_remove_mark_rule()` (and other\\nrule removal helpers). This ensures that all existing RCU readers have\\nexited the critical section before any underlying resources are destroyed.\"}],\"affected\":[{\"source\":\"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67\",\"affectedData\":[{\"vendor\":\"Linux\",\"product\":\"Linux\",\"defaultStatus\":\"unaffected\",\"programFiles\":[\"kernel/auditfilter.c\"],\"repo\":\"https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git\",\"versions\":[{\"version\":\"34d99af52ad40bd498ba66970579a5bc1fb1a3bc\",\"lessThan\":\"93616c567469510b7bba55b2674e0c4523fd7e64\",\"versionType\":\"git\",\"status\":\"affected\"},{\"version\":\"34d99af52ad40bd498ba66970579a5bc1fb1a3bc\",\"lessThan\":\"3f82927b399d7a276c0c12b6ff4424b747a0c9a7\",\"versionType\":\"git\",\"status\":\"affected\"},{\"version\":\"34d99af52ad40bd498ba66970579a5bc1fb1a3bc\",\"lessThan\":\"8ae135a8962be9d4e8a131eb18eb06cdf02a47ce\",\"versionType\":\"git\",\"status\":\"affected\"},{\"version\":\"34d99af52ad40bd498ba66970579a5bc1fb1a3bc\",\"lessThan\":\"45bf3df5b32e5a49953e7ceabc55f7dd85380e46\",\"versionType\":\"git\",\"status\":\"affected\"},{\"version\":\"34d99af52ad40bd498ba66970579a5bc1fb1a3bc\",\"lessThan\":\"78bde7e9bd36eaae1b8e8cfcd47f12a34f301dbf\",\"versionType\":\"git\",\"status\":\"affected\"},{\"version\":\"34d99af52ad40bd498ba66970579a5bc1fb1a3bc\",\"lessThan\":\"cae0dfed5d307b240bff71c3cf206652d1b6f215\",\"versionType\":\"git\",\"status\":\"affected\"},{\"version\":\"34d99af52ad40bd498ba66970579a5bc1fb1a3bc\",\"lessThan\":\"5b8f46864f06d6dbacb7dcea52bc084dfd122638\",\"versionType\":\"git\",\"status\":\"affected\"},{\"version\":\"34d99af52ad40bd498ba66970579a5bc1fb1a3bc\",\"lessThan\":\"246df90b5f1a8a6e6abbd2f058b029558720adec\",\"versionType\":\"git\",\"status\":\"affected\"}]},{\"vendor\":\"Linux\",\"product\":\"Linux\",\"defaultStatus\":\"affected\",\"programFiles\":[\"kernel/auditfilter.c\"],\"repo\":\"https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git\",\"versions\":[{\"version\":\"4.3\",\"status\":\"affected\"},{\"version\":\"0\",\"lessThan\":\"4.3\",\"versionType\":\"semver\",\"status\":\"unaffected\"},{\"version\":\"5.10.265\",\"lessThanOrEqual\":\"5.10.*\",\"versionType\":\"semver\",\"status\":\"unaffected\"},{\"version\":\"5.15.216\",\"lessThanOrEqual\":\"5.15.*\",\"versionType\":\"semver\",\"status\":\"unaffected\"},{\"version\":\"6.1.183\",\"lessThanOrEqual\":\"6.1.*\",\"versionType\":\"semver\",\"status\":\"unaffected\"},{\"version\":\"6.6.151\",\"lessThanOrEqual\":\"6.6.*\",\"versionType\":\"semver\",\"status\":\"unaffected\"},{\"version\":\"6.12.103\",\"lessThanOrEqual\":\"6.12.*\",\"versionType\":\"semver\",\"status\":\"unaffected\"},{\"version\":\"6.18.44\",\"lessThanOrEqual\":\"6.18.*\",\"versionType\":\"semver\",\"status\":\"unaffected\"},{\"version\":\"7.1.8\",\"lessThanOrEqual\":\"7.1.*\",\"versionType\":\"semver\",\"status\":\"unaffected\"},{\"version\":\"7.2\",\"lessThanOrEqual\":\"*\",\"versionType\":\"original_commit_for_fix\",\"status\":\"unaffected\"}]}]}],\"metrics\":{\"cvssMetricV31\":[{\"source\":\"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67\",\"type\":\"Secondary\",\"cvssData\":{\"version\":\"3.1\",\"vectorString\":\"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H\",\"baseScore\":7.8,\"baseSeverity\":\"HIGH\",\"attackVector\":\"LOCAL\",\"attackComplexity\":\"LOW\",\"privilegesRequired\":\"LOW\",\"userInteraction\":\"NONE\",\"scope\":\"UNCHANGED\",\"confidentialityImpact\":\"HIGH\",\"integrityImpact\":\"HIGH\",\"availabilityImpact\":\"HIGH\"},\"exploitabilityScore\":1.8,\"impactScore\":5.9}]},\"references\":[{\"url\":\"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/246df90b5f1a8a6e6abbd2f058b029558720adec\",\"source\":\"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67\"},{\"url\":\"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3f82927b399d7a276c0c12b6ff4424b747a0c9a7\",\"source\":\"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67\"},{\"url\":\"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/45bf3df5b32e5a49953e7ceabc55f7dd85380e46\",\"source\":\"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67\"},{\"url\":\"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5b8f46864f06d6dbacb7dcea52bc084dfd122638\",\"source\":\"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67\"},{\"url\":\"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/78bde7e9bd36eaae1b8e8cfcd47f12a34f301dbf\",\"source\":\"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67\"},{\"url\":\"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8ae135a8962be9d4e8a131eb18eb06cdf02a47ce\",\"source\":\"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67\"},{\"url\":\"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/93616c567469510b7bba55b2674e0c4523fd7e64\",\"source\":\"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67\"},{\"url\":\"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/cae0dfed5d307b240bff71c3cf206652d1b6f215\",\"source\":\"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67\"}]}}",
    "redhat_vex": {
      "aggregate_severity": "Moderate",
      "current_release_date": "2026-08-19T18:10:19+00:00",
      "cve": "CVE-2026-74512",
      "id": "CVE-2026-74512",
      "initial_release_date": "2026-08-15T00:00:00+00:00",
      "product_status:known_affected": "274",
      "source": "Red Hat CSAF VEX",
      "status": "final",
      "title": "kernel: audit: fix potential use-after-free in audit_del_rule()",
      "url": "https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-74512.json",
      "version": "3"
    }
  }
}



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  • Confirmed: The vulnerability has been validated from an analyst's perspective.
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