audit: fix potential use-after-free in audit_del_rule()
Summary
| CVE | CVE-2026-74512 |
|---|---|
| State | PUBLISHED |
| Assigner | Linux |
| Source Priority | CVE Program / NVD first with legacy fallback |
| Published | 2026-08-15 13:17:56 UTC |
| Updated | 2026-08-17 06:19:47 UTC |
| Description | 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. |
Risk And Classification
Primary CVSS: v3.1 7.8 HIGH from 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS: 0.001680000 probability, percentile 0.064910000 (date 2026-08-16)
| Version | Source | Type | Score | Severity | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.1 | 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 | Secondary | 7.8 | HIGH | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
| 3.1 | CNA | DECLARED | 7.8 | HIGH | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
CVSS v3.1 Breakdown
Attack Vector
LocalAttack Complexity
LowPrivileges Required
LowUser Interaction
NoneScope
UnchangedConfidentiality
HighIntegrity
HighAvailability
HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Vendor Declared Affected Products
| Source | Vendor | Product | Version | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CNA | Linux | Linux | affected 34d99af52ad40bd498ba66970579a5bc1fb1a3bc 45bf3df5b32e5a49953e7ceabc55f7dd85380e46 git | Not specified |
| CNA | Linux | Linux | affected 34d99af52ad40bd498ba66970579a5bc1fb1a3bc 78bde7e9bd36eaae1b8e8cfcd47f12a34f301dbf git | Not specified |
| CNA | Linux | Linux | affected 34d99af52ad40bd498ba66970579a5bc1fb1a3bc cae0dfed5d307b240bff71c3cf206652d1b6f215 git | Not specified |
| CNA | Linux | Linux | affected 34d99af52ad40bd498ba66970579a5bc1fb1a3bc 5b8f46864f06d6dbacb7dcea52bc084dfd122638 git | Not specified |
| CNA | Linux | Linux | affected 34d99af52ad40bd498ba66970579a5bc1fb1a3bc 246df90b5f1a8a6e6abbd2f058b029558720adec git | Not specified |
| CNA | Linux | Linux | affected 4.3 | Not specified |
| CNA | Linux | Linux | unaffected 4.3 semver | Not specified |
| CNA | Linux | Linux | unaffected 6.6.151 6.6.* semver | Not specified |
| CNA | Linux | Linux | unaffected 6.12.103 6.12.* semver | Not specified |
| CNA | Linux | Linux | unaffected 6.18.44 6.18.* semver | Not specified |
| CNA | Linux | Linux | unaffected 7.1.8 7.1.* semver | Not specified |
| CNA | Linux | Linux | unaffected 7.2 * original_commit_for_fix | Not specified |
References
| Reference | Source | Link | Tags |
|---|---|---|---|
| git.kernel.org/stable/c/5b8f46864f06d6dbacb7dcea52bc084dfd122638 | 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 | git.kernel.org | |
| git.kernel.org/stable/c/45bf3df5b32e5a49953e7ceabc55f7dd85380e46 | 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 | git.kernel.org | |
| git.kernel.org/stable/c/78bde7e9bd36eaae1b8e8cfcd47f12a34f301dbf | 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 | git.kernel.org | |
| git.kernel.org/stable/c/246df90b5f1a8a6e6abbd2f058b029558720adec | 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 | git.kernel.org | |
| git.kernel.org/stable/c/cae0dfed5d307b240bff71c3cf206652d1b6f215 | 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 | git.kernel.org | |
| CVE Program record | CVE.ORG | www.cve.org | canonical |
| NVD vulnerability detail | NVD | nvd.nist.gov | canonical, analysis |
No vendor comments have been submitted for this CVE.
There are currently no legacy QID mappings associated with this CVE.