# CVE-2026-64581: xfrm: fix sk_dst_cache double-free in xfrm_user_policy()

> A race condition in the Linux kernel xfrm subsystem allows unprivileged users to trigger a double-free, potentially leading to code execution or privilege escalation.

- **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:** 5 Aug 2026
- **Updated:** 19 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-94476, BELL-CVE-2026-64581, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-64581, GHSA-7q3m-x568-mpcp, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-64581

## What is CVE-2026-64581?

CVE-2026-64581 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux, published on 5 Aug 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:

xfrm: fix sk_dst_cache double-free in xfrm_user_policy()

xfrm_user_policy() clears the socket dst cache with __sk_dst_reset(),
i.e. the non-atomic __sk_dst_set(sk, NULL): it reads sk_dst_cache with
rcu_dereference_protected(), stores NULL and dst_release()s the old dst.
That is only safe if no other thread modifies sk_dst_cache concurrently.

For a connected UDP socket that does not hold: the transmit fast path
(udp_sendmsg -> sk_dst_check -> sk_dst_reset) resets the cache locklessly
with an atomic xchg(). A per-socket policy change racing a send can make
both sides observe the same old dst and each dst_release() it, dropping
the socket's single reference twice and freeing the xfrm_dst bundle while
it is still referenced:

  BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in dst_release
  Write of size 4 at addr ffff88801897b6c0 by task exploit/155
  Call Trace:
   ...
   dst_release (... ./include/linux/rcuref.h:109)
   xfrm_user_policy (./include/net/sock.h:2239 ./include/net/sock.h:2256 net/xfrm/xfrm_state.c:3053)
   do_ip_setsockopt (net/ipv4/ip_sockglue.c:1347)
   ip_setsockopt (net/ipv4/ip_sockglue.c:1417)
   do_sock_setsockopt (net/socket.c:2368)
   __sys_setsockopt (net/socket.c:2393)
   __x64_sys_setsockopt (net/socket.c:2396)
   do_syscall_64 (arch/x86/entry/syscall_64.c:94)
   entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe (arch/x86/entry/entry_64.S:121)

Reachable by an unprivileged user via a user+network namespace.

Use the atomic sk_dst_reset() so the cache is cleared and released with a
single xchg(): whichever side wins releases the dst once, the other sees
NULL and does nothing. Behaviour is otherwise unchanged.

Weakness: CWE-362 (Concurrent Execution using Shared Resource with Improper Synchronization)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-64581?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-64581?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-64581 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-64581 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-64581 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-64581 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux, published on 5 Aug 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-2026-64581 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux. 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-2026-64581/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-64581/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-64581
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-64581
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-64581

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-64581/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.