CVE-2026-53161 misc: fastrpc: fix use-after-free of fastrpc_user in workqueue context
A race condition in the Linux kernel's fastrpc driver allows a use-after-free, potentially enabling local attackers to execute code or escalate privileges.
- 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
What is CVE-2026-53161?
CVE-2026-53161 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 25 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:
misc: fastrpc: fix use-after-free of fastrpc_user in workqueue context
There is a race between fastrpc_device_release() and the workqueue that processes DSP responses. When the user closes the file descriptor, fastrpc_device_release() frees the fastrpc_user structure. Concurrently, an in-flight DSP invocation can complete and fastrpc_rpmsg_callback() schedules context cleanup via schedule_work(&ctx->put_work). If the workqueue runs fastrpc_context_free() in parallel with or after fastrpc_device_release() has freed the user structure, it dereferences the freed fastrpc_user. Depending on the state of the context at the time of the race, any one of the following accesses can be hit:
1. fastrpc_buf_free() calls fastrpc_ipa_to_dma_addr(buf->fl->cctx, ...) to strip the SID bits from the stored IOVA before passing the physical address to dma_free_coherent().
2. fastrpc_free_map() reads map->fl->cctx->vmperms[0].vmid to reconstruct the source permission bitmask needed for the qcom_scm_assign_mem() call that returns memory from the DSP VM back to HLOS.
3. fastrpc_free_map() acquires map->fl->lock to safely remove the map node from the fl->maps list.
The resulting use-after-free manifests as:
pc : fastrpc_buf_free+0x38/0x80 [fastrpc] lr : fastrpc_context_free+0xa8/0x1b0 [fastrpc] fastrpc_context_free+0xa8/0x1b0 [fastrpc] fastrpc_context_put_wq+0x78/0xa0 [fastrpc] process_one_work+0x180/0x450 worker_thread+0x26c/0x388
Add kref-based reference counting to fastrpc_user. Have each invoke context take a reference on the user at allocation time and release it when the context is freed. Release the initial reference in fastrpc_device_release() at file close. Move the teardown of the user structure — freeing pending contexts, maps, mmaps, and the channel context reference — into the kref release callback fastrpc_user_free(), so that it runs only when the last reference is dropped, regardless of whether that happens at device close or after the final in-flight context completes.
Weakness: CWE-416
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-53161?
It affects 1 product.
Products include Linux kernel.
How do I fix CVE-2026-53161?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Upgrade to the fixed version. These bugs are found with fuzzing and sanitisers and avoided by memory-safe languages. More about Use after free.
Is CVE-2026-53161 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-53161 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel
Sources
Also known as BELL-CVE-2026-53161, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-53161, GHSA-4v48-c98q-4vpc, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-11-CVE-2026-53161, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-12-CVE-2026-53161, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2204-CVE-2026-53161 and 2 more.