Kernel code execution via stale VGA callback
Published Jul 25, 2026 · Updated Jul 25, 2026
Use-after-free in Linux Kernel VFIO/PCI allows local users to execute kernel code through a stale VGA-arbiter callback. The vfio_pci_core_register_device() failure path leaves the client registered after vfio_pci_vga_init(), so a later VGA operation invokes vfio_pci_set_decode() with a freed VFIO device cookie. Exploitation requires failed VFIO VGA registration plus access to /dev/vga_arbiter or a delegated legacy-VGA region, enabling host memory disclosure, corruption, or a kernel crash.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in Linux Kernel VFIO/PCI allows local users to execute kernel code through a stale VGA-arbiter callback. The vfio_pci_core_register_device() failure path leaves the client registered after vfio_pci_vga_init(), so a later VGA operation invokes vfio_pci_set_decode() with a freed VFIO device cookie. Exploitation requires failed VFIO VGA registration plus access to /dev/vga_arbiter or a delegated legacy-VGA region, enabling host memory disclosure, corruption, or a kernel crash.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-64475
- Published
- Jul 25, 2026
- Updated
- Jul 25, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux Kernel
- Classifications
- T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jul 25, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Jul 25, 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=4aeec3984ddc853f7c65903bde472ffdef738bae <278a5659c391fe5afe5f9ce1bad1fd24e90144f1
- Affected versionversion=4aeec3984ddc853f7c65903bde472ffdef738bae <42d758a09d2c46c42357ecde9a5492f015bde2e5
- Affected versionversion=4aeec3984ddc853f7c65903bde472ffdef738bae <52adb2dff7ce3d8430e2bdc5988b618a430def85
- Affected versionversion=4aeec3984ddc853f7c65903bde472ffdef738bae <8d65decde9afd2bd78bcfffdc0df73b82a0b5509
- Affected versionversion=4aeec3984ddc853f7c65903bde472ffdef738bae <9e0a3f642e607848669235f5069f35640abbfc88
- Affected versionversion=4aeec3984ddc853f7c65903bde472ffdef738bae <daedde7f024ecf88bc8e832ed40cf2c795f0796a
- Affected versionversion=4aeec3984ddc853f7c65903bde472ffdef738bae <ef4c38d30b3744e89eb5048218904bb629ea8d47
- Affected versionversion=5.10.37 <5.10.261
- Affected versionversion=5.11.21 <5.12
- Affected versionversion=5.12.4 <5.13
- Affected versionversion=5.13
- Affected versionversion=6694b8daffac5a8661071f085608afc78f7acd08
- Affected versionversion=87856f9af04eaacf9848710625a4ffee1d020fa9 <0f2a35a0c7ea7da347b814750eaa78adf3582381
- Affected versionversion=d62dccb417cf972c978bf3c68a7d5e846bcf953e
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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