CVE-2026-46036

Kernel privilege escalation via VFIO/CDX ioctl race

Published May 27, 2026 · Updated May 27, 2026

Use-after-free in the Linux kernel VFIO/CDX driver allows local users with device-file access to gain kernel privileges. vfio_cdx_set_msi_trigger() uses cdx_irqs without serializing concurrent VFIO_DEVICE_SET_IRQS calls, letting one caller free the array while another accesses it. The race requires two threads using the same VFIO/CDX file descriptor and permits kernel-memory disclosure, state corruption, control-flow hijacking, or a host panic.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.14%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Use-after-free in the Linux kernel VFIO/CDX driver allows local users with device-file access to gain kernel privileges. vfio_cdx_set_msi_trigger() uses cdx_irqs without serializing concurrent VFIO_DEVICE_SET_IRQS calls, letting one caller free the array while another accesses it. The race requires two threads using the same VFIO/CDX file descriptor and permits kernel-memory disclosure, state corruption, control-flow hijacking, or a host panic.

The record

CVE
CVE-2026-46036
Published
May 27, 2026
Updated
May 27, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux Kernel
Classifications
CWE-416, T1068
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=6.10
  2. Affected versionversion=848e447e000c41894ff931dc7c004fd42c8840f8 <670e8864b1a218d72f08db40d0103adf38fa1d9b
  3. Affected versionversion=848e447e000c41894ff931dc7c004fd42c8840f8 <7530f34ec0ca1438d45a75dcb43183a1cc92eced
  4. Affected versionversion=848e447e000c41894ff931dc7c004fd42c8840f8 <7b436ade16cc81095d79b79f8efa3af0a4f5c5a2
  5. Affected versionversion=848e447e000c41894ff931dc7c004fd42c8840f8 <ddf96e23c366c566283fce8377928851fa7f5e81

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linux Kernelversion=6.10; version=848e447e000c41894ff931dc7c004fd42c8840f8 <670e8864b1a218d72f08db40d0103adf38fa1d9b; version=848e447e000c41894ff931dc7c004fd42c8840f8 <7530f34ec0ca1438d45a75dcb43183a1cc92eced; version=848e447e000c41894ff931dc7c004fd42c8840f8 <7b436ade16cc81095d79b79f8efa3af0a4f5c5a2; version=848e447e000c41894ff931dc7c004fd42c8840f8 <ddf96e23c366c566283fce8377928851fa7f5e81

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 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-416Use After Free
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

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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