# CVE-2026-74479: net: pktgen: fix proc entry use-after-free

> A race condition in the Linux kernel pktgen module allows a use-after-free, potentially leading to system crashes or arbitrary code execution.

- **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:** 15 Aug 2026
- **Updated:** 16 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-96156, BELL-CVE-2026-74479, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-74479, GHSA-34c4-h856-x83p, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-74479

## What is CVE-2026-74479?

CVE-2026-74479 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:

net: pktgen: fix proc entry use-after-free

pktgen_change_name() replaces pkt_dev->entry while holding t->if_lock.
pktgen_remove_device() removes the same entry before
_rem_dev_from_if_list() takes that lock.

This allows the following interleaving:

  CPU 0 (NETDEV_CHANGENAME)       CPU 1 (kpktgend)
  if_lock(t)
  proc_remove(pkt_dev->entry)
                                  proc_remove(pkt_dev->entry)
  pkt_dev->entry = proc_create_data(...)
  if_unlock(t)

The kthread can pass the stale proc_dir_entry to proc_remove() after the
rename path has freed it. A reproducer with a widened race window reports:

  BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in proc_remove+0x78/0x80
  Read of size 8 at addr ffff8881478fea70 by task kpktgend_0/67
  Call Trace:
   proc_remove+0x78/0x80
   pktgen_remove_device.isra.0+0x11c/0x4c0
   pktgen_thread_worker+0x1214/0x6bc0
   kthread+0x2c6/0x3b0
  Allocated by task 95:
   __proc_create+0x204/0x790
   proc_create_data+0x72/0xe0
   pktgen_thread_write+0xd61/0x1510
  Freed by task 28:
   kmem_cache_free+0xcb/0x3d0
   proc_free_inode+0x5b/0x80
   rcu_core+0x50a/0x1850
  The buggy address belongs to the object at ffff8881478fea00
   which belongs to the cache proc_dir_entry of size 192

Move proc_remove() into the if_lock-protected list removal helper. Keep it
before list_del_rcu() to preserve the ordering required by add_device().
The rename path must then finish replacing the entry before removal, or
it observes that the device is no longer on the list.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-74479?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-74479?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-74479 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-74479 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-74479 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-74479 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-2026-74479 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-2026-74479/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-74479/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-74479
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-74479
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-74479

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-74479/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.