CVE-2026-72489 staging: nvec: fix use-after-free in nvec_rx_completed()
A use-after-free in the Linux kernel nvec driver allows attackers to potentially execute code or escalate privileges via race conditions.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Not needed
- Attackable
- Local or same network only
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- Available
What is CVE-2026-72489?
CVE-2026-72489 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux, published on 15 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:
staging: nvec: fix use-after-free in nvec_rx_completed()
In nvec_rx_completed(), when an incomplete RX transfer is detected, nvec_msg_free() is called to return the message back to the pool by clearing its 'used' atomic flag. Immediately after this, the code accesses nvec->rx->data[0] to check the message type.
Since nvec_msg_free() marks the pool slot as available via atomic_set(), any concurrent or subsequent call to nvec_msg_alloc() could claim that same slot and overwrite its data[] array. Reading nvec->rx->data[0] after freeing the message is therefore a use-after-free.
Fix this by saving the message type byte before calling nvec_msg_free(), then using the saved value for the battery quirk check.
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-72489?
How do I fix CVE-2026-72489?
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-2026-72489 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-72489 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as BELL-CVE-2026-72489, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-72489, GHSA-2v2r-3jf8-mfgg, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72489.