# CVE-2026-86713: PX4 Autopilot through 1.17.0 Use-After-Free in load_mon

> Attackers can trigger a use-after-free in the load_mon module via shell commands, causing heap corruption and flight stack instability.

- **Severity:** High 7.1 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:A/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:L/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 8 Sep 2026
- **Updated:** 8 Sep 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-26jx-wf7m-f9f4

## What is CVE-2026-86713?

CVE-2026-86713 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in PX4-Autopilot, published on 8 Sep 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

PX4 Autopilot through 1.17.0 contains a use-after-free vulnerability in the load_mon module's stop path where exit_and_cleanup() deletes the LoadMon object and frees the performance counter before perf_end() attempts to access it. Attackers can trigger this vulnerability by issuing the load_mon stop command from any PXH or MAVLink shell, causing reads and writes through freed memory that corrupt heap objects and destabilize the flight stack.

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-86713?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-86713?

No fix has been published for CVE-2026-86713 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2026-86713 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-86713 exists.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-86713 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-86713 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in PX4-Autopilot, published on 8 Sep 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-86713 exists.

Affected product: PX4-Autopilot. 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-2026-86713/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-86713/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-86713
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-86713
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-86713

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-86713/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.