CVE-2026-74369 liveupdate: fix u-a-f in luo_file_unpreserve_files() and luo_file_finish()
A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel liveupdate subsystem allows local attackers with high privileges to execute arbitrary code or escalate privileges.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- An administrator
- Attackable
- Local or same network only
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- Available
What is CVE-2026-74369?
CVE-2026-74369 is an 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:
liveupdate: fix u-a-f in luo_file_unpreserve_files() and luo_file_finish()
In luo_file_unpreserve_files() and luo_file_finish(), reorder module_put() and xa_erase() to ensure the file handler module remains pinned while its operations are being accessed.
Specifically, luo_get_id() dereferences fh->ops->get_id, so the module reference must be held until after xa_erase() (which calls luo_get_id) completes.
For luo_file_finish(), this requires moving the module_put() call out of the luo_file_finish_one() helper and into the main loop of luo_file_finish() itself.
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-74369?
How do I fix CVE-2026-74369?
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-2026-74369 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-74369 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as DEBIAN-CVE-2026-74369, GHSA-98h5-hm5g-wr83, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-74369.