CVE Catalog

CVE-2026-72071

HighCVSS 7.8
Published: Updated: Translated: NVD NIST

Exploitation Probability (EPSS)

Low risk
0.17%

7th percentile - higher than 7% of all known CVEs

Summary

A use-after-free vulnerability was found in the Linux kernel's user_event_mm_dup() function related to the user_events mechanism. The issue occurs during fork() when the enabler list is traversed without locking while another thread removes an enabler, leading to use of freed memory. An unprivileged attacker can trigger this bug, resulting in a system crash or potential privilege escalation.

Risk Assessment

The vulnerability can be exploited by a local unprivileged user to cause a kernel panic or potentially escalate privileges. However, it requires access to the user_events_data interface and a complex multithreaded scenario.

Recommendation

Apply the official patch from your Linux kernel distributor immediately. If not possible, restrict access to the user_events_data interface (e.g., via appropriate permissions) and monitor the system for unusual behavior.

Original NVD description (English source)

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: tracing/user_events: Fix use-after-free in user_event_mm_dup() user_event_mm_dup() walks the parent mm's enabler list locklessly under rcu_read_lock() during fork() (from copy_process()); it does not take event_mutex: rcu_read_lock(); list_for_each_entry_rcu(enabler, &old_mm->enablers, mm_enablers_link) enabler->event = user_event_get(orig->event); user_event_enabler_destroy() removes an enabler from that list with list_del_rcu() and then, without waiting for a grace period, drops the enabler's user_event reference with user_event_put() and frees the enabler with kfree(). A reader that loaded the enabler before the list_del_rcu() can still be walking it, which leads to two use-after-frees: - kfree(enabler) frees the enabler while that reader dereferences enabler->event. - user_event_put() may drop the last reference to the user_event, which is then freed (via delayed_destroy_user_event() on a work queue), while the same reader does user_event_get(orig->event) on it. Both are reachable by an unprivileged task that can open user_events_data: one multithreaded process that registers an enabler and then concurrently unregisters it and calls fork() triggers the race. KASAN reports a slab-use-after-free in user_event_mm_dup() during clone(), with a "refcount_t: addition on 0" warning when the user_event is freed. The enabler use-after-free was found first; the user_event one was reported by XIAO WU, and the earlier enabler-only fix did not address it. Defer both the user_event_put() and the kfree(enabler) to a work item queued with queue_rcu_work(), so they run only after an RCU grace period, once all readers walking the enabler list have finished. The put must run in process context because user_event_put() takes event_mutex on the last reference, so a work queue is used rather than call_rcu(). The now-unlocked put lets the locked argument of user_event_enabler_destroy() be removed; all callers are updated.

Vulnerability data from NVD (NIST) · CISA KEV · EPSS