CVE-2026-64543 tipc: fix use-after-free of the discoverer in tipc_disc_rcv()
A use-after-free in the Linux kernel TIPC UDP bearer allows local attackers to achieve code execution or privilege escalation 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-2026-64543?
CVE-2026-64543 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux, published on 27 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:
tipc: fix use-after-free of the discoverer in tipc_disc_rcv()
bearer_disable() frees b->disc with tipc_disc_delete()'s plain kfree(), but tipc_disc_rcv() still dereferences b->disc in RX softirq under rcu_read_lock() (tipc_udp_recv -> tipc_rcv -> tipc_disc_rcv).
L2 bearers are safe thanks to the synchronize_net() in tipc_disable_l2_media(), but the UDP bearer defers that call to the cleanup_bearer() workqueue, so the discoverer is freed with no grace period:
BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in tipc_disc_rcv (net/tipc/discover.c:149) Read of size 8 at addr ffff88802348b728 by task poc_tipc/184 <IRQ> tipc_disc_rcv (net/tipc/discover.c:149) tipc_rcv (net/tipc/node.c:2126) tipc_udp_recv (net/tipc/udp_media.c:391) udp_rcv (net/ipv4/udp.c:2643) ip_local_deliver_finish (net/ipv4/ip_input.c:241) </IRQ> Freed by task 181: kfree (mm/slub.c:6565) bearer_disable (net/tipc/bearer.c:418) tipc_nl_bearer_disable (net/tipc/bearer.c:1001)
The bearer is freed with kfree_rcu(); free the discoverer the same way. Add an rcu_head to struct tipc_discoverer and free it and its skb from an RCU callback.
Because the RCU callback (tipc_disc_free_rcu) lives in module text, a call_rcu() that is still pending when the tipc module is unloaded would invoke a freed function. Add an rcu_barrier() to tipc_exit() after the bearer subsystem has been torn down, so all pending discoverer callbacks have run before the module text goes away.
Reachable from an unprivileged user namespace: the TIPCv2 genl family is netnsok and its bearer commands have no GENL_ADMIN_PERM. Needs CONFIG_TIPC and CONFIG_TIPC_MEDIA_UDP.
Weakness: CWE-416
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-64543?
How do I fix CVE-2026-64543?
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-2026-64543 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-64543 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as AZL-94047, BELL-CVE-2026-64543, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-64543, GHSA-vfvw-gp7q-pgrc, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-12-CVE-2026-64543, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-64543.