# CVE-2026-53112: wifi: rtlwifi: pci: fix possible use-after-free caused by unfinished irq_prepare_bcn_tasklet

> A use-after-free in the rtlwifi PCI driver allows attackers to cause denial of service or execute code when the device is detached.

- **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:** 24 Jun 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2026-53112, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-53112, GHSA-j8wh-h47x-6xr8, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-11-CVE-2026-53112, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-12-CVE-2026-53112, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2204-CVE-2026-53112, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2404-CVE-2026-53112, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-53112

## What is CVE-2026-53112?

CVE-2026-53112 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:

wifi: rtlwifi: pci: fix possible use-after-free caused by unfinished irq_prepare_bcn_tasklet

The irq_prepare_bcn_tasklet is initialized in rtl_pci_init() and
scheduled when RTL_IMR_BCNINT interrupt is triggered by hardware.
But it is never killed in rtl_pci_deinit(). When the rtlwifi card
probe fails or is being detached, the ieee80211_hw is deallocated.
However, irq_prepare_bcn_tasklet may still be running or pending,
leading to use-after-free when the freed ieee80211_hw is accessed
in _rtl_pci_prepare_bcn_tasklet().

Similar to irq_tasklet, add tasklet_kill() in rtl_pci_deinit() to
ensure that irq_prepare_bcn_tasklet is properly terminated before
the ieee80211_hw is released.

The issue was identified through static analysis.

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-53112?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-53112?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-53112 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-53112 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-2026-53112 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-53112 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-2026-53112 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-2026-53112/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53112/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-53112
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-53112
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-53112

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53112/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.