# CVE-2026-68144: phonet: pep: fix use-after-free in pep_get_sb()

> A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's Phonet protocol allows attackers to potentially execute code or escalate privileges via crafted network packets.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 10 Aug 2026
- **Updated:** 19 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2026-68144, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-68144, GHSA-362p-g3rp-mxch, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-68144

## What is CVE-2026-68144?

CVE-2026-68144 is a critical use after free vulnerability in Linux, published on 10 Aug 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

phonet: pep: fix use-after-free in pep_get_sb()

pep_get_sb() doesn't consider that pskb_may_pull() might have relocated
the skb data, and continue to access the older pointer, causing UAF.

Reproduced under KASAN:

  BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in pep_get_sb+0x234/0x3b0
  Read of size 1 at addr ff11000105510f50 by task repro/157
   pep_get_sb+0x234/0x3b0
   pipe_handler_do_rcv+0x5f7/0xa10
   pep_do_rcv+0x203/0x410
   __sk_receive_skb+0x471/0x4a0
   phonet_rcv+0x5b3/0x6c0
   __netif_receive_skb+0xcc/0x1d0

Refetch the header with skb_header_pointer() after pskb_may_pull(), so
the possibly stale pointer is no longer dereferenced. There are better
ways to solve this, but, this is the less instrusive one.

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-68144?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-68144?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-68144 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-68144 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-68144 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-68144 is a critical use after free vulnerability in Linux, published on 10 Aug 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-68144 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-2026-68144/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-68144/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-68144
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-68144
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-68144

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-68144/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.