GHSA-G8MR-R59R-2XMQ
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2026-08-27 06:31 – Updated: 2026-08-27 06:31In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
af_unix: Unlink scc_entry in unix_del_edge().
Kyle Zeng reported that GC could free a dead SCC partially.
The scenario is as follows:
1) Create two SCCs:
X -. A <-> B
^--'
2) Run the following concurrently:
2-1) send() sk-B to sk-B from sk-X
2-2) close() both A and B
At 2-1), there is a small window where unix_add_edges() publishes a new edge (B <-> B) to GC but its skb is not queued by skb_queue_tail().
If 2-2) completes before skb_queue_tail() and GC is triggered, it judges A <-> B as dead, but B is not freed because GC cannot collect the not-yet-queued skb holding the B <-> B edge.
X -. A <-> B -. This edge is visible
^--' ^..' but skb is not
This itself is not a problem since the next GC run will judge B as dead as well and free it finally.
X -. A <.> B -.
^--' ^--'
However, X's SCC forces the next GC to call unix_walk_scc_fast(), and it iterates over A through B's scc_entry.
Let's unlink scc_entry before freeing the vertex in unix_del_edge().
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2026-80521"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2026-08-26T15:17:05Z",
"severity": "HIGH"
},
"details": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\naf_unix: Unlink scc_entry in unix_del_edge().\n\nKyle Zeng reported that GC could free a dead SCC partially.\n\nThe scenario is as follows:\n\n 1) Create two SCCs:\n\n X -. A \u003c-\u003e B\n ^--\u0027\n\n 2) Run the following concurrently:\n\n 2-1) send() sk-B to sk-B from sk-X\n 2-2) close() both A and B\n\nAt 2-1), there is a small window where unix_add_edges()\npublishes a new edge (B \u003c-\u003e B) to GC but its skb is not queued\nby skb_queue_tail().\n\nIf 2-2) completes before skb_queue_tail() and GC is triggered,\nit judges A \u003c-\u003e B as dead, but B is not freed because GC cannot\ncollect the not-yet-queued skb holding the B \u003c-\u003e B edge.\n\n X -. A \u003c-\u003e B -. This edge is visible\n ^--\u0027 ^..\u0027 but skb is not\n\nThis itself is not a problem since the next GC run will judge\nB as dead as well and free it finally.\n\n X -. A \u003c.\u003e B -.\n ^--\u0027 ^--\u0027\n\nHowever, X\u0027s SCC forces the next GC to call unix_walk_scc_fast(),\nand it iterates over A through B\u0027s scc_entry.\n\nLet\u0027s unlink scc_entry before freeing the vertex in unix_del_edge().",
"id": "GHSA-g8mr-r59r-2xmq",
"modified": "2026-08-27T06:31:31Z",
"published": "2026-08-27T06:31:31Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-80521"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/594d905195024b228c962627ae5ae7c17bd582a4"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e3702470ced94fad74d71e2232f022d2eb752a6d"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": [
{
"score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
"type": "CVSS_V3"
}
]
}
Sightings
| Author | Source | Type | Date | Other |
|---|
Nomenclature
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- Confirmed: The vulnerability has been validated from an analyst's perspective.
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- Patched: The vulnerability was observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.
- Not exploited: The vulnerability was not observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
- Not confirmed: The user expressed doubt about the validity of the vulnerability.
- Not patched: The vulnerability was not observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.
The approach is described in our paper Mapping CVEs to MITRE ATT&CK Techniques: A Curated Gold-Set Classifier and the Limits of LLM-Assisted Label Expansion.