# CVE-2026-53033: bpf, sockmap: Take state lock for af_unix iter

> A race condition in the Linux kernel's BPF sockmap allows a use-after-free, potentially enabling local attackers to execute code or escalate privileges.

- **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-2026-53033, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-53033, GHSA-2f72-2chx-q8p6, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-12-CVE-2026-53033, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2204-CVE-2026-53033, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2404-CVE-2026-53033, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-53033

## What is CVE-2026-53033?

CVE-2026-53033 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:

bpf, sockmap: Take state lock for af_unix iter

When a BPF iterator program updates a sockmap, there is a race condition in
unix_stream_bpf_update_proto() where the `peer` pointer can become stale[1]
during a state transition TCP_ESTABLISHED -> TCP_CLOSE.

        CPU0 bpf                          CPU1 close
        --------                          ----------
// unix_stream_bpf_update_proto()
sk_pair = unix_peer(sk)
if (unlikely(!sk_pair))
   return -EINVAL;
                                     // unix_release_sock()
                                     skpair = unix_peer(sk);
                                     unix_peer(sk) = NULL;
                                     sock_put(skpair)
sock_hold(sk_pair) // UaF

More practically, this fix guarantees that the iterator program is
consistently provided with a unix socket that remains stable during
iterator execution.

[1]:
BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in unix_stream_bpf_update_proto+0x155/0x490
Write of size 4 at addr ffff8881178c9a00 by task test_progs/2231
Call Trace:
 dump_stack_lvl+0x5d/0x80
 print_report+0x170/0x4f3
 kasan_report+0xe4/0x1c0
 kasan_check_range+0x125/0x200
 unix_stream_bpf_update_proto+0x155/0x490
 sock_map_link+0x71c/0xec0
 sock_map_update_common+0xbc/0x600
 sock_map_update_elem+0x19a/0x1f0
 bpf_prog_bbbf56096cdd4f01_selective_dump_unix+0x20c/0x217
 bpf_iter_run_prog+0x21e/0xae0
 bpf_iter_unix_seq_show+0x1e0/0x2a0
 bpf_seq_read+0x42c/0x10d0
 vfs_read+0x171/0xb20
 ksys_read+0xff/0x200
 do_syscall_64+0xf7/0x5e0
 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x76/0x7e

Allocated by task 2236:
 kasan_save_stack+0x30/0x50
 kasan_save_track+0x14/0x30
 __kasan_slab_alloc+0x63/0x80
 kmem_cache_alloc_noprof+0x1d5/0x680
 sk_prot_alloc+0x59/0x210
 sk_alloc+0x34/0x470
 unix_create1+0x86/0x8a0
 unix_stream_connect+0x318/0x15b0
 __sys_connect+0xfd/0x130
 __x64_sys_connect+0x72/0xd0
 do_syscall_64+0xf7/0x5e0
 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x76/0x7e

Freed by task 2236:
 kasan_save_stack+0x30/0x50
 kasan_save_track+0x14/0x30
 kasan_save_free_info+0x3b/0x70
 __kasan_slab_free+0x47/0x70
 kmem_cache_free+0x11c/0x590
 __sk_destruct+0x432/0x6e0
 unix_release_sock+0x9b3/0xf60
 unix_release+0x8a/0xf0
 __sock_release+0xb0/0x270
 sock_close+0x18/0x20
 __fput+0x36e/0xac0
 fput_close_sync+0xe5/0x1a0
 __x64_sys_close+0x7d/0xd0
 do_syscall_64+0xf7/0x5e0
 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x76/0x7e

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-53033?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-53033?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-53033 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-53033 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-2026-53033 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-53033 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-2026-53033 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-2026-53033/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53033/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-53033
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-53033
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-53033

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53033/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.
