cbcvebase.
CVE-2026-46242
published 2026-05-30

CVE-2026-46242: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: eventpoll: fix ep_remove struct eventpoll / struct file UAF ep_remove() (via…

PriorityP349high7.8CVSS 3.1
AVLACLPRLUINSUCHIHAH
EPSS
3.23%
87.0th percentile
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: eventpoll: fix ep_remove struct eventpoll / struct file UAF ep_remove() (via ep_remove_file()) cleared file->f_ep under file->f_lock but then kept using @file inside the critical section (is_file_epoll(), hlist_del_rcu() through the head, spin_unlock). A concurrent __fput() taking the eventpoll_release() fastpath in that window observed the transient NULL, skipped eventpoll_release_file() and ran to f_op->release / file_free(). For the epoll-watches-epoll case, f_op->release is ep_eventpoll_release() -> ep_clear_and_put() -> ep_free(), which kfree()s the watched struct eventpoll. Its embedded ->refs hlist_head is exactly where epi->fllink.pprev points, so the subsequent hlist_del_rcu()'s "*pprev = next" scribbles into freed kmalloc-192 memory. In addition, struct file is SLAB_TYPESAFE_BY_RCU, so the slot backing @file could be recycled by alloc_empty_file() -- reinitializing f_lock and f_ep -- while ep_remove() is still nominally inside that lock. The upshot is an attacker-controllable kmem_cache_free() against the wrong slab cache. Pin @file via epi_fget() at the top of ep_remove() and gate the critical section on the pin succeeding. With the pin held @file cannot reach refcount zero, which holds __fput() off and transitively keeps the watched struct eventpoll alive across the hlist_del_rcu() and the f_lock use, closing both UAFs. If the pin fails @file has already reached refcount zero and its __fput() is in flight. Because we bailed before clearing f_ep, that path takes the eventpoll_release() slow path into eventpoll_release_file() and blocks on ep->mtx until the waiter side's ep_clear_and_put() drops it. The bailed epi's share of ep->refcount stays intact, so the trailing ep_refcount_dec_and_test() in ep_clear_and_put() cannot free the eventpoll out from under eventpoll_release_file(); the orphaned epi is then cleaned up there. A successful pin also proves we are not racing eventpoll_rel

Affected

27 ranges· showing 25
VendorProductVersion rangeFixed in
linuxlinux
linuxlinux
linuxlinux>= 5.15.209 < 5.165.16
linuxlinux>= 58c9b016e12855286370dfb704c08498edbc857a < 2de4db145b2992da496fea6c51f9839be678ae242de4db145b2992da496fea6c51f9839be678ae24
linuxlinux>= 58c9b016e12855286370dfb704c08498edbc857a < 9324de74a3a59b9fde9b62ee45ebaa71458ba2e59324de74a3a59b9fde9b62ee45ebaa71458ba2e5
linuxlinux>= 58c9b016e12855286370dfb704c08498edbc857a < ef4ca02e95363e78977ca04340d44fe3b4b2b81fef4ca02e95363e78977ca04340d44fe3b4b2b81f
linuxlinux>= 58c9b016e12855286370dfb704c08498edbc857a < ced39b6a8062bac5c18a1c3df85634107eb8664aced39b6a8062bac5c18a1c3df85634107eb8664a
linuxlinux>= 58c9b016e12855286370dfb704c08498edbc857a < a6dc643c69311677c574a0f17a3f4d66a5f3744ba6dc643c69311677c574a0f17a3f4d66a5f3744b
linuxlinux>= 6.1.175 < 6.1.1786.1.178
linuxlinux>= a1f93804449d13f97dabd4b996817de4bf1ed67a < 3e1144d2515d28e4312e663ea05eac203101491d3e1144d2515d28e4312e663ea05eac203101491d
linuxlinux_kernel
linuxlinux_kernel>= 5.15.209 < 5.165.16
linuxlinux_kernel>= 6.1.175 < 6.26.2
linuxlinux_kernel>= 6.19 < 7.0.107.0.10
linuxlinux_kernel>= 6.4 < 6.18.336.18.33
ubuntulinux
ubuntulinux-aws
ubuntulinux-azure
ubuntulinux-azure-fde
ubuntulinux-gcp
ubuntulinux-gke
ubuntulinux-hwe-7.0
ubuntulinux-ibm
ubuntulinux-oem-7.0
ubuntulinux-oracle

CVSS provenance

nvdv3.17.8HIGHCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
vendor_redhat7.0MEDIUM
vendor_ubuntu7.0HIGH
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