CVE-2026-74512
audit: fix potential use-after-free in audit_del_rule()
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: audit: fix potential use-after-free in audit_del_rule() `audit_del_rule()` destroys `e->rule.exe` via `audit_remove_mark_rule()` before unlinking the rule from RCU-visible filter lists and waiting for a grace period. Concurrent readers in `audit_filter()` and `audit_filter_rules()` still dereference `e->rule.exe`, while the fsnotify mark can be freed on an independent lifetime path. This creates a use-after-free window during rule deletion. Fix this by unlinking the rule from the RCU-visible lists and invoking `synchronize_rcu()` before calling `audit_remove_mark_rule()` (and other rule removal helpers). This ensures that all existing RCU readers have exited the critical section before any underlying resources are destroyed.
INFO
Published Date :
Aug. 15, 2026, 1:17 p.m.
Last Modified :
Aug. 15, 2026, 1:17 p.m.
Remotely Exploit :
No
Source :
416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
Affected Products
The following products are affected by CVE-2026-74512
vulnerability.
Even if cvefeed.io is aware of the exact versions of the
products
that
are
affected, the information is not represented in the table below.
No affected product recoded yet
Solution
- Unlink rule from RCU-visible lists.
- Call synchronize_rcu() before resource destruction.
- Ensure RCU readers exit critical section.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth
information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to
CVE-2026-74512.
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration
While CVE identifies
specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or
weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-74512 is
associated with the following CWEs:
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification
(CAPEC)
stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and
approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2026-74512
weaknesses.
We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).
Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.
The following list is the news that have been mention
CVE-2026-74512 vulnerability anywhere in the article.
The following table lists the changes that have been made to the
CVE-2026-74512 vulnerability over time.
Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.
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New CVE Received by 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
Aug. 15, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Affected [{'repo': 'https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git', 'vendor': 'Linux', 'product': 'Linux', 'versions': [{'status': 'affected', 'version': '34d99af52ad40bd498ba66970579a5bc1fb1a3bc', 'lessThan': '45bf3df5b32e5a49953e7ceabc55f7dd85380e46', 'versionType': 'git'}, {'status': 'affected', 'version': '34d99af52ad40bd498ba66970579a5bc1fb1a3bc', 'lessThan': '78bde7e9bd36eaae1b8e8cfcd47f12a34f301dbf', 'versionType': 'git'}, {'status': 'affected', 'version': '34d99af52ad40bd498ba66970579a5bc1fb1a3bc', 'lessThan': 'cae0dfed5d307b240bff71c3cf206652d1b6f215', 'versionType': 'git'}, {'status': 'affected', 'version': '34d99af52ad40bd498ba66970579a5bc1fb1a3bc', 'lessThan': '5b8f46864f06d6dbacb7dcea52bc084dfd122638', 'versionType': 'git'}, {'status': 'affected', 'version': '34d99af52ad40bd498ba66970579a5bc1fb1a3bc', 'lessThan': '246df90b5f1a8a6e6abbd2f058b029558720adec', 'versionType': 'git'}], 'programFiles': ['kernel/auditfilter.c'], 'defaultStatus': 'unaffected'}, {'repo': 'https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git', 'vendor': 'Linux', 'product': 'Linux', 'versions': [{'status': 'affected', 'version': '4.3'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '0', 'lessThan': '4.3', 'versionType': 'semver'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '6.6.151', 'versionType': 'semver', 'lessThanOrEqual': '6.6.*'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '6.12.103', 'versionType': 'semver', 'lessThanOrEqual': '6.12.*'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '6.18.44', 'versionType': 'semver', 'lessThanOrEqual': '6.18.*'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '7.1.8', 'versionType': 'semver', 'lessThanOrEqual': '7.1.*'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '7.2-rc6', 'versionType': 'original_commit_for_fix', 'lessThanOrEqual': '*'}], 'programFiles': ['kernel/auditfilter.c'], 'defaultStatus': 'affected'}] Added Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: audit: fix potential use-after-free in audit_del_rule() `audit_del_rule()` destroys `e->rule.exe` via `audit_remove_mark_rule()` before unlinking the rule from RCU-visible filter lists and waiting for a grace period. Concurrent readers in `audit_filter()` and `audit_filter_rules()` still dereference `e->rule.exe`, while the fsnotify mark can be freed on an independent lifetime path. This creates a use-after-free window during rule deletion. Fix this by unlinking the rule from the RCU-visible lists and invoking `synchronize_rcu()` before calling `audit_remove_mark_rule()` (and other rule removal helpers). This ensures that all existing RCU readers have exited the critical section before any underlying resources are destroyed. Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/246df90b5f1a8a6e6abbd2f058b029558720adec Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/45bf3df5b32e5a49953e7ceabc55f7dd85380e46 Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5b8f46864f06d6dbacb7dcea52bc084dfd122638 Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/78bde7e9bd36eaae1b8e8cfcd47f12a34f301dbf Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/cae0dfed5d307b240bff71c3cf206652d1b6f215