# CVE-2026-52976: drm/xe: Fix error cleanup in xe_exec_queue_create_ioctl()

> A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's Xe GPU driver allows local attackers to potentially execute arbitrary code or escalate privileges due to improper error handling.

- **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-2026-52976, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-52976, GHSA-c52j-4pg6-8f2f, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-52976

## What is CVE-2026-52976?

CVE-2026-52976 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:

drm/xe: Fix error cleanup in xe_exec_queue_create_ioctl()

Two error handling issues exist in xe_exec_queue_create_ioctl():

1. When xe_hw_engine_group_add_exec_queue() fails, the error path jumps
   to put_exec_queue which skips xe_exec_queue_kill(). If the VM is in
   preempt fence mode, xe_vm_add_compute_exec_queue() has already added
   the queue to the VM's compute exec queue list. Skipping the kill
   leaves the queue on that list, leading to a dangling pointer after
   the queue is freed.

2. When xa_alloc() fails after xe_hw_engine_group_add_exec_queue() has
   succeeded, the error path does not call
   xe_hw_engine_group_del_exec_queue() to remove the queue from the hw
   engine group list. The queue is then freed while still linked into
   the hw engine group, causing a use-after-free.

Fix both by:
- Changing the xe_hw_engine_group_add_exec_queue() failure path to jump
  to kill_exec_queue so that xe_exec_queue_kill() properly removes the
  queue from the VM's compute list.
- Adding a del_hw_engine_group label before kill_exec_queue for the
  xa_alloc() failure path, which removes the queue from the hw engine
  group before proceeding with the rest of the cleanup.

(cherry picked from commit 37c831f401746a45d510b312b0ed7a77b1e06ec8)

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-52976?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-52976?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-52976 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-52976 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-2026-52976 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-52976 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-2026-52976 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-2026-52976/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-52976/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-52976
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-52976
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-52976

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-52976/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.