# CVE-2026-64222: octeontx2-pf: avoid double free of pool->stack on AQ init failure

> A double-free vulnerability in the OcteonTX2 network driver allows attackers to cause denial of service or potentially execute code via crafted hardware interactions.

- **Severity:** High 7.0 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/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 Jul 2026
- **Updated:** 19 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2026-64222, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-64222, GHSA-xhjp-r5qg-3389, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2204-CVE-2026-64222, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-64222

## What is CVE-2026-64222?

CVE-2026-64222 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 24 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:

octeontx2-pf: avoid double free of pool->stack on AQ init failure

otx2_pool_aq_init() frees pool->stack when mailbox sync or retry
allocation fails, but leaves the pointer unchanged. Later,
otx2_sq_aura_pool_init() unwinds the partial setup through
otx2_aura_pool_free(), which frees pool->stack again. The CN20K-specific
cn20k_pool_aq_init() implementation has the same bug in
its corresponding error path.

Set pool->stack to NULL immediately after the local free so the shared
cleanup path does not free the same stack again while cleaning up
partially initialized pool state.

The bug was first flagged by an experimental analysis tool we are
developing for kernel memory-management bugs while analyzing
v6.13-rc1. The tool is still under development and is not yet publicly
available. Manual inspection confirms that the bug is still present in
v7.1-rc3.

Runtime validation was not performed because reproducing this path
requires OcteonTX2/CN20K hardware.

Weakness: CWE-415 (Double Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-64222?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-64222?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-64222 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-64222 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-2026-64222 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-64222 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 24 Jul 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-2026-64222 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-2026-64222/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-64222/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-64222
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-64222
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-64222

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-64222/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.