Local kernel memory corruption via PHC teardown race
Published Jun 24, 2026 · Updated Jun 24, 2026
Use-after-free in the Linux Kernel ENA PHC timestamp path allows local users to corrupt kernel memory via a teardown race. The get_timestamp path checks phc->active and caches ena_dev->phc.virt_addr before taking the spinlock, so concurrent ena_com_phc_destroy() can free the DMA buffer before it is dereferenced. Low-privilege access to the PTP character device is required, and a successful race can expose or corrupt kernel memory or crash the host.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in the Linux Kernel ENA PHC timestamp path allows local users to corrupt kernel memory via a teardown race. The get_timestamp path checks phc->active and caches ena_dev->phc.virt_addr before taking the spinlock, so concurrent ena_com_phc_destroy() can free the DMA buffer before it is dereferenced. Low-privilege access to the PTP character device is required, and a successful race can expose or corrupt kernel memory or crash the host.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-52971
- Published
- Jun 24, 2026
- Updated
- Jun 24, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux Kernel
- Classifications
- CWE-416, T1499.004
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jun 24, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Jun 24, 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?
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- Affected versionversion=6.17
- Affected versionversion=e0ea34158ee8c4f7536cd781010339ff28c0d24c <95e8ae9af2a61b4e72f5c585bf4c7d8aaf2a2c98
- Affected versionversion=e0ea34158ee8c4f7536cd781010339ff28c0d24c <ca9ed40f28949353911dcb524ff8fff2f3409c97
- Affected versionversion=e0ea34158ee8c4f7536cd781010339ff28c0d24c <e42c755582f0960e684298762f0ab927b3778376
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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