# CVE-2026-89763: KEYS: trusted: Fix TPM teardown ordering

> A race condition in the Linux kernel's trusted keys subsystem allows a use-after-free, potentially enabling local attackers to execute code or escalate privileges.

- **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:** 11 Sep 2026
- **Updated:** 21 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-100370, BELL-CVE-2026-89763, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-89763, GHSA-wv58-h966-qv76, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-89763

## What is CVE-2026-89763?

CVE-2026-89763 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux, published on 11 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:

KEYS: trusted: Fix TPM teardown ordering

trusted_tpm_exit() drops the TPM chip reference and frees the digest
array before unregistering the trusted key type. key_type_lookup()
holds key_types_sem for reading until the key operation finishes, while
unregister_key_type() takes it for writing. It therefore provides the
synchronization point that must precede backend teardown.

The current order permits this interleaving:

  CPU 0                              CPU 1
  trusted_tpm_exit()                 key_type_lookup("trusted")
    put_device(&chip->dev)             trusted_tpm_seal()
    kfree(digests)                       pcrlock()
    unregister_key_type()                  tpm_pcr_extend(..., digests)

CPU 1 can consequently dereference the freed digest array. The chip can
also be released before callbacks stop using it.

KASAN reported:

  BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in tpm_pcr_extend+0x1f0/0x200
  Read of size 2 at addr ffff88810872d000 by task poc/89
  Call Trace:
    tpm_pcr_extend+0x1f0/0x200
    pcrlock+0x42/0x70 [trusted]
    trusted_tpm_seal+0x1b6/0x570 [trusted]
    trusted_instantiate+0x293/0x340 [trusted]
    __key_instantiate_and_link+0xb2/0x2b0
    __key_create_or_update+0x61e/0xb50
    __do_sys_add_key+0x1b8/0x310
  Allocated by task 88:
    __kmalloc_noprof+0x1a7/0x490
    do_one_initcall+0xa1/0x390
    do_init_module+0x2df/0x840
  Freed by task 90:
    kfree+0x131/0x3c0
    trusted_tpm_exit+0x59/0xa0 [trusted]
    __do_sys_delete_module+0x346/0x510

Move unregister_key_type() before releasing either resource. This stops
new lookups and waits for in-flight key operations to finish before the
backend state is destroyed.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-89763?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-89763?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-89763 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-89763 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-89763 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-89763 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux, published on 11 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-2026-89763 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-2026-89763/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-89763/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-89763
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-89763
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-89763

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-89763/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.