# CVE-2026-52973: futex: Drop CLONE_THREAD requirement for private default hash alloc

> A use-after-free in the Linux kernel futex subsystem allows attackers to potentially execute code or escalate privileges via specific clone operations.

- **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:** 24 Jun 2026
- **Updated:** 19 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2026-52973, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-52973, GHSA-9qj4-wr4g-7m6f, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-52973

## What is CVE-2026-52973?

CVE-2026-52973 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 24 Jun 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:

futex: Drop CLONE_THREAD requirement for private default hash alloc

Currently need_futex_hash_allocate_default() depends on strict pthread
semantics, abusing CLONE_THREAD.  This breaks the non-concurrency
assumptions when doing the mm->futex_ref pcpu allocations, leading to
bugs[0] when sharing the mm in other ways; ie:

    BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in futex_hash_put

... where the +1 bias can end up on a percpu counter that mm->futex_ref
no longer points at.

Loosen the check to cover any CLONE_VM clone, except vfork().  Excluding
vfork keeps the existing paths untouched (no overhead), and we can't
race in the first place: either the parent is suspended and the child
runs alone, or mm->futex_ref is already allocated from an earlier
CLONE_VM.

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free), CWE-825 (Expired Pointer Dereference)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-52973?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-52973?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-52973 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-52973 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-2026-52973 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-52973 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 24 Jun 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-2026-52973 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-2026-52973/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-52973/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-52973
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-52973
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-52973

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-52973/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.