# CVE-2026-74589: bpf, sockmap: Fix sk_redir use-after-free in send verdict

> A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's sockmap allows local attackers to execute arbitrary code or escalate privileges via race conditions in send verdicts.

- **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:** 22 Aug 2026
- **Updated:** 16 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-97212, BELL-CVE-2026-74589, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-74589, GHSA-h943-r25q-4c77, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-74589

## What is CVE-2026-74589?

CVE-2026-74589 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux, published on 22 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:

bpf, sockmap: Fix sk_redir use-after-free in send verdict

sk_psock_msg_verdict() takes a socket reference for psock->sk_redir.
tcp_bpf_send_verdict() copies that pointer while holding the source socket
lock, but does not take a reference for the local copy before dropping the
lock around tcp_bpf_sendmsg_redir().

When apply_bytes keeps the cached verdict active, another sendmsg() on the
same source socket can consume the remaining bytes and release the cached
reference while the first thread still holds only the raw local pointer:

  CPU 0                                  CPU 1
  sk_redir = psock->sk_redir
  apply_bytes remains nonzero
  release_sock(sk)
                                         lock_sock(sk)
                                         apply_bytes reaches zero
                                         psock->sk_redir = NULL
                                         release_sock(sk)
                                         tcp_bpf_sendmsg_redir(sk_redir)
                                         sock_put(sk_redir)
  tcp_bpf_sendmsg_redir(sk_redir)

The final sock_put() can free sk_redir before CPU 0 dereferences it.

KASAN reported:

  BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in tcp_bpf_sendmsg_redir+0xf39/0x1020
  Read of size 8 at addr ffff888108537090 by task poc/87
  Call Trace:
   tcp_bpf_sendmsg_redir+0xf39/0x1020
   tcp_bpf_sendmsg+0x977/0x1a50
   __sys_sendto+0x32c/0x3a0
   __x64_sys_sendto+0xdb/0x1b0
  Allocated by task 85:
   sk_prot_alloc+0x56/0x210
   sk_clone+0x6f/0x14b0
   inet_csk_clone_lock+0x24/0x740
   tcp_create_openreq_child+0x25/0x2710
   tcp_v4_syn_recv_sock+0x10a/0xe00
  Freed by task 0:
   __kasan_slab_free+0x43/0x70
   slab_free_after_rcu_debug+0xa6/0x1e0
   rcu_core+0x50a/0x1850
  Last potentially related work creation:
   __sk_destruct+0x3da/0x540
   sk_psock_destroy+0x81e/0xab0
   process_one_work+0x63a/0x1070

Take a temporary socket reference while the source socket lock still
protects psock->sk_redir, and drop it after tcp_bpf_sendmsg_redir()
returns.  This keeps each unlocked use independent of cached-verdict
ownership.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-74589?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-74589?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-74589 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-74589 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-74589 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-74589 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux, published on 22 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-2026-74589 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-2026-74589/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-74589/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-74589
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-74589
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-74589

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-74589/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.