CVE-2026-45959

System crash via invalid stack-address deallocation

Published May 27, 2026 · Updated May 27, 2026

Improper memory deallocation in Linux Kernel 6.17 allows local users to crash the system through a crafted AES-GCM request. In ccp_run_aes_gcm_cmd, __cleanup(kfree) passes the local pointer variable's stack address to kfree instead of the kmalloc-family allocation. An unprivileged local account can invoke the affected gcm-aes-ccp path through AF_ALG, causing an immediate kernel oops or panic.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.13%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Improper memory deallocation in Linux Kernel 6.17 allows local users to crash the system through a crafted AES-GCM request. In ccp_run_aes_gcm_cmd, __cleanup(kfree) passes the local pointer variable's stack address to kfree instead of the kmalloc-family allocation. An unprivileged local account can invoke the affected gcm-aes-ccp path through AF_ALG, causing an immediate kernel oops or panic.

The record

CVE
CVE-2026-45959
Published
May 27, 2026
Updated
May 27, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux Kernel
Classifications
CWE-476, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 27, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. May 27, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=6.17
  2. Affected versionversion=a71475582ada92ba021852bf3c2b40ab3718549b <90f9090e3e744a8fe3bb6fa0e61f577347728b0b
  3. Affected versionversion=a71475582ada92ba021852bf3c2b40ab3718549b <9a3ace9b010ffd8c422c97844ae152f7c53d6b18
  4. Affected versionversion=a71475582ada92ba021852bf3c2b40ab3718549b <d5abcc33ee76bc26d58b39dc1a097e43a99dd438

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linux Kernelversion=6.17; version=a71475582ada92ba021852bf3c2b40ab3718549b <90f9090e3e744a8fe3bb6fa0e61f577347728b0b; version=a71475582ada92ba021852bf3c2b40ab3718549b <9a3ace9b010ffd8c422c97844ae152f7c53d6b18; version=a71475582ada92ba021852bf3c2b40ab3718549b <d5abcc33ee76bc26d58b39dc1a097e43a99dd438

Published CVSS scores

7.8Linux Kernel CNACVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-476NULL Pointer Dereference
T1499.004Endpoint Denial of Service: Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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