CVE-2026-46176

Local privilege escalation via freed SRQ reuse

Published May 28, 2026 · Updated May 28, 2026

Use-after-free in Linux Kernel 6.11 and 6.6.64 through 6.6.139 allows local users to escalate privileges through mlx5 RDMA setup. If creation of the second SRQ fails, mlx5_ib_dev_res_srq_init destroys the first SRQ but stores its freed pointer and the second error pointer as initialized resources. Low-privileged local access and a reachable mlx5 RDMA path are required; later QP creation or cleanup can corrupt kernel memory, escalate privileges, or crash the system.

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 Linux Kernel 6.11 and 6.6.64 through 6.6.139 allows local users to escalate privileges through mlx5 RDMA setup. If creation of the second SRQ fails, mlx5_ib_dev_res_srq_init destroys the first SRQ but stores its freed pointer and the second error pointer as initialized resources. Low-privileged local access and a reachable mlx5 RDMA path are required; later QP creation or cleanup can corrupt kernel memory, escalate privileges, or crash the system.

The record

CVE
CVE-2026-46176
Published
May 28, 2026
Updated
May 28, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux Kernel
Classifications
CWE-825, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 28, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. May 28, 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=5895e70f2e6e8dc67b551ca554d6fcde0a7f0467 <6fd93142dd1d09000c3750af08270f5792523fe9
  2. Affected versionversion=5895e70f2e6e8dc67b551ca554d6fcde0a7f0467 <b087913ae88256df66620f7ba0a9776716aeef7e
  3. Affected versionversion=5895e70f2e6e8dc67b551ca554d6fcde0a7f0467 <bc2cf5935b4665172235341163315905197ae91d
  4. Affected versionversion=5895e70f2e6e8dc67b551ca554d6fcde0a7f0467 <c488df06bd552bb8b6e14fa0cfd5ad986c6e9525
  5. Affected versionversion=6.11
  6. Affected versionversion=6.6.64 <6.6.140
  7. Affected versionversion=b6334d2356fc0922ed01457960f74923058a353a <a13c2ac4d480b734342c6fbf8249fc48afd675f3

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linux Kernelversion=5895e70f2e6e8dc67b551ca554d6fcde0a7f0467 <6fd93142dd1d09000c3750af08270f5792523fe9; version=5895e70f2e6e8dc67b551ca554d6fcde0a7f0467 <b087913ae88256df66620f7ba0a9776716aeef7e; version=5895e70f2e6e8dc67b551ca554d6fcde0a7f0467 <bc2cf5935b4665172235341163315905197ae91d; version=5895e70f2e6e8dc67b551ca554d6fcde0a7f0467 <c488df06bd552bb8b6e14fa0cfd5ad986c6e9525; version=6.11; version=6.6.64 <6.6.140; version=b6334d2356fc0922ed01457960f74923058a353a <a13c2ac4d480b734342c6fbf8249fc48afd675f3

Published CVSS scores

7.8kernel.orgCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.0Red HatCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/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-825Expired Pointer Dereference
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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