# CVE-2026-80842: net: bridge: mcast: fix use-after-free of a master VLAN's multicast context

> A use-after-free in the Linux kernel bridge multicast code allows local attackers to cause denial of service or execute arbitrary code.

- **Severity:** Not scored
- **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:** 4 Sep 2026
- **Updated:** 19 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-99528, BELL-CVE-2026-80842, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-80842, GHSA-4rr3-fvjp-hj2g, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-80842

## What is CVE-2026-80842?

CVE-2026-80842 is an use after free vulnerability in Linux, published on 4 Sep 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: bridge: mcast: fix use-after-free of a master VLAN's multicast context

br_multicast_toggle_one_vlan() clears BR_VLFLAG_MCAST_ENABLED under
br->multicast_lock before stopping a VLAN's multicast context.  That is
the teardown handshake: lockless readers gate on the flag through
br_multicast_ctx_should_use() -> br_multicast_ctx_vlan_disabled(), so
once it is cleared under the lock no reader can arm the context again.

For a master VLAN the handshake never runs.  __vlan_del() clears
BRIDGE_VLAN_INFO_BRENTRY before calling br_vlan_put_master(), so
br_multicast_toggle_one_vlan(masterv, false) returns early on
!br_vlan_is_brentry(vlan): the flag stays set and br->multicast_lock is
never taken.  br_vlan_put_master() then drains the context in
br_multicast_ctx_deinit() and frees the VLAN through call_rcu(), while a
reader still inside rcu_read_lock() sees the context as enabled and
re-arms it.  The port and port-VLAN branch of the function has no
br_vlan_is_brentry() test and flips the flag under br->multicast_lock,
so it is not affected.

The reader is the bridge transmit path.  For a master VLAN
br_multicast_rcv() selects brmctx = &vlan->br_mcast_ctx with
pmctx = NULL, so IGMP sent to the bridge device re-arms the context's
timers after br_multicast_ctx_deinit() has already stopped them.

  BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in detach_if_pending+0x412/0x4a0
  Write of size 8 at addr ffff88810ac39918 by task brmc/601
   __mod_timer+0x51a/0xc50
   br_multicast_host_join+0x25b/0x390
   __br_multicast_add_group+0x468/0x530
   br_ip4_multicast_add_group+0x1a0/0x260
   br_multicast_rcv+0x2cda/0x61e0
   br_dev_xmit+0x6c4/0x1540
  Allocated by task 610:
   br_vlan_add+0x111/0xb40
   br_vlan_info+0x370/0x3e0
  Freed by task 0:
   kfree+0x1a7/0x4f0
   rcu_core+0x7dc/0x10a0

Only test br_vlan_is_brentry() when enabling, like the
br_multicast_ctx_vlan_global_disabled() test next to it.  Disabling then
always clears BR_VLFLAG_MCAST_ENABLED under br->multicast_lock before
br_multicast_ctx_deinit() drains the context.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-80842?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-80842?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-80842 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-80842 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-80842 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-80842 is an use after free vulnerability in Linux, published on 4 Sep 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-2026-80842 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-2026-80842/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-80842/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-80842
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-80842
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-80842

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-80842/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.