Kernel compromise via RCU-unsafe DEVMAP_HASH iteration
Published Jun 24, 2026 · Updated Jun 24, 2026
Race condition in the Linux Kernel BPF subsystem allows local users with BPF privileges to corrupt kernel state or crash the system. The DEVMAP_HASH branch of dev_map_redirect_multi() traverses RCU-protected buckets with hlist_for_each_entry_safe(), dereferencing pointers without the acquire barrier required to synchronize with concurrent updates and deletions. Exploitation requires BPF or CAP_NET_ADMIN-style privileges, an attached XDP program, and attacker-driven packet traffic racing map operations; weakly ordered ARM64 and POWER systems can expose inconsistent kernel objects.
Summary
What happened
Race condition in the Linux Kernel BPF subsystem allows local users with BPF privileges to corrupt kernel state or crash the system. The DEVMAP_HASH branch of dev_map_redirect_multi() traverses RCU-protected buckets with hlist_for_each_entry_safe(), dereferencing pointers without the acquire barrier required to synchronize with concurrent updates and deletions. Exploitation requires BPF or CAP_NET_ADMIN-style privileges, an attached XDP program, and attacker-driven packet traffic racing map operations; weakly ordered ARM64 and POWER systems can expose inconsistent kernel objects.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-53096
- Published
- Jun 24, 2026
- Updated
- Jun 24, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux Kernel
- Classifications
- CWE-476, T1499, T1068
- 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?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=5.14
- Affected versionversion=e624d4ed4aa8cc3c69d1359b0aaea539203ed266 <4a3d0fe30b907ff324b1b49756f7e713d67f3645
- Affected versionversion=e624d4ed4aa8cc3c69d1359b0aaea539203ed266 <571a05ea1baaccc0dc1e0d227b2cbc978b96d392
- Affected versionversion=e624d4ed4aa8cc3c69d1359b0aaea539203ed266 <7027e705062482a8cea43a1c13ede3c35653966f
- Affected versionversion=e624d4ed4aa8cc3c69d1359b0aaea539203ed266 <8ed82f807bb09d2c8455aaa665f2c6cb17bc6a19
- Affected versionversion=e624d4ed4aa8cc3c69d1359b0aaea539203ed266 <b089aa6e94d7a08e74d076a0fe274842dc9feccc
- Affected versionversion=e624d4ed4aa8cc3c69d1359b0aaea539203ed266 <cb2c1f3cf65b855548e1b8d55a08bfbaa5a0901a
- Affected versionversion=e624d4ed4aa8cc3c69d1359b0aaea539203ed266 <d4c4bd231ebad70e6f30db429e9640bf378b2f52
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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Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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