# CVE-2026-46011: media: mtk-jpeg: fix use-after-free in release path due to uncancelled work

> A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's MediaTek JPEG driver allows attackers to execute arbitrary code or escalate privileges via a race condition.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 27 May 2026
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-88629, BELL-CVE-2026-46011, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-46011, GHSA-cfrw-47v4-wfc7, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2404-CVE-2026-46011, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-46011

## What is CVE-2026-46011?

CVE-2026-46011 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 27 May 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

media: mtk-jpeg: fix use-after-free in release path due to uncancelled work

The mtk_jpeg_release() function frees the context structure (ctx) without
first cancelling any pending or running work in ctx->jpeg_work. This
creates a race window where the workqueue callback may still be accessing
the context memory after it has been freed.

Race condition:

    CPU 0 (release)                    CPU 1 (workqueue)
    ----------------                   ------------------
    close()
      mtk_jpeg_release()
                                       mtk_jpegenc_worker()
                                         ctx = work->data
                                         // accessing ctx

        kfree(ctx)  // freed!
                                         access ctx  // UAF!

The work is queued via queue_work() during JPEG encode/decode operations
(via mtk_jpeg_device_run). If the device is closed while work is pending
or running, the work handler will access freed memory.

Fix this by calling cancel_work_sync() BEFORE acquiring the mutex. This
ordering is critical: if cancel_work_sync() is called after mutex_lock(),
and the work handler also tries to acquire the same mutex, it would cause
a deadlock.

Note: The open error path does NOT need cancel_work_sync() because
INIT_WORK() only initializes the work structure - it does not schedule
it. Work is only scheduled later during ioctl operations.

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-46011?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-46011?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-46011 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-46011 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel

- [CVE-2026-53266](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53266/): Linux Kernel Out-of-Bounds Write (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-6282](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-6282/): Linux Kernel Improper Input Validation (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2022-0185](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0185/): Linux Kernel Heap-Based Buffer Overflow (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-2094](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-2094/): Linux Kernel Privilege Escalation (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-53362](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53362/): Linux Kernel Unspecified (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-46011 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-46011 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 27 May 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-46011 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux kernel. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-46011/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-46011/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-46011
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-46011
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-46011

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-46011/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.