CVE-2026-64188 net: qualcomm: rmnet: fix endpoint use-after-free in rmnet_dellink()
A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's Qualcomm rmnet driver allows attackers to cause a system crash or potentially execute code via crafted network packets.
- 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-2026-64188?
CVE-2026-64188 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 20 Jul 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:
net: qualcomm: rmnet: fix endpoint use-after-free in rmnet_dellink()
rmnet_dellink() removes the endpoint from the hash table with hlist_del_init_rcu() and then immediately frees it with kfree(). However, RCU readers on the receive path (rmnet_rx_handler -> __rmnet_map_ingress_handler) may still hold a reference to the endpoint and dereference ep->egress_dev after the memory has been freed. The endpoint is a kmalloc-32 object, and the stale read at offset 8 corresponds to the egress_dev pointer.
BUG: unable to handle page fault for address: ffffffffde942eef Oops: 0002 [#1] SMP NOPTI CPU: 1 UID: 0 PID: 137 Comm: poc_write Not tainted 7.0.0+ #4 PREEMPTLAZY RIP: 0010:rmnet_vnd_rx_fixup (rmnet_vnd.c:27) Call Trace: <TASK> __rmnet_map_ingress_handler (rmnet_handlers.c:48 rmnet_handlers.c:101) rmnet_rx_handler (rmnet_handlers.c:129 rmnet_handlers.c:235) __netif_receive_skb_core.constprop.0 (net/core/dev.c:6096) __netif_receive_skb_one_core (net/core/dev.c:6208) netif_receive_skb (net/core/dev.c:6467) tun_get_user (drivers/net/tun.c:1955) tun_chr_write_iter (drivers/net/tun.c:2003) vfs_write (fs/read_write.c:688) ksys_write (fs/read_write.c:740) </TASK>
Add an rcu_head field to struct rmnet_endpoint and replace kfree() with kfree_rcu() so the endpoint memory remains valid through the RCU grace period. Also remove the rmnet_vnd_dellink() call and inline only the nr_rmnet_devs decrement, since rmnet_vnd_dellink() would set ep->egress_dev to NULL during the grace period, creating a data race with lockless readers.
Weakness: CWE-416
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-64188?
It affects 1 product.
Products include Linux kernel.
How do I fix CVE-2026-64188?
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-2026-64188 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-64188 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel
Sources
Also known as BELL-CVE-2026-64188, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-64188, GHSA-6h7j-8h9r-mwrg, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2204-CVE-2026-64188, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-64188.