# 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.

- **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:** 25 Jun 2026
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2026
- **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, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2404-CVE-2026-53161, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-53161

## 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 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-53161?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-53161?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## 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

- [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-2026-53161 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: 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.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-53161 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-2026-53161/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53161/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-53161
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-53161
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-53161

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53161/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.