# 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.

- **Severity:** High 8.4 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/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:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 15 Aug 2026
- **Updated:** 17 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2026-72489, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-72489, GHSA-2v2r-3jf8-mfgg, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72489

## 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.

## Is CVE-2026-72489 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-72489 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-72489 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: 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.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-72489 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-2026-72489/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-72489/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-72489
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-72489
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-72489

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-72489/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.