CVE-2026-68144

Kernel crash via stale Phonet header pointer

Published Aug 10, 2026 · Updated Aug 10, 2026

Use-after-free in the Linux Phonet PEP packet receive path allows local users to crash the kernel via crafted Phonet packets. In pep_get_sb(), pskb_may_pull() can relocate skb data, but the function dereferences the previously obtained header pointer instead of refetching it. Reaching the stale read requires Phonet support and delivery into the PEP receive path; KASAN reproduced a slab use-after-free during packet reception.

CVSS severity9.8
Critical
EPSS probability0.54%
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 Phonet PEP packet receive path allows local users to crash the kernel via crafted Phonet packets. In pep_get_sb(), pskb_may_pull() can relocate skb data, but the function dereferences the previously obtained header pointer instead of refetching it. Reaching the stale read requires Phonet support and delivery into the PEP receive path; KASAN reproduced a slab use-after-free during packet reception.

The record

CVE
CVE-2026-68144
Published
Aug 10, 2026
Updated
Aug 10, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-825, T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 10, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 10, 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=2.6.28
  2. Affected versionversion=9641458d3ec42def729fde64669abf07f3220cd5 <0f71f852a96af9685858ce59fda34ecbf85c283d
  3. Affected versionversion=9641458d3ec42def729fde64669abf07f3220cd5 <17f78c0c0d41d738ee236eb6e841e39395188054
  4. Affected versionversion=9641458d3ec42def729fde64669abf07f3220cd5 <25e3641beb51333bfbb155af2fd2573a61113af2
  5. Affected versionversion=9641458d3ec42def729fde64669abf07f3220cd5 <8d931a75a38b9bb584a4071f5ebbd52755fc35ee
  6. Affected versionversion=9641458d3ec42def729fde64669abf07f3220cd5 <a48a889b60f73edb0399a8b08284a2ab0bd0295f

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=2.6.28; version=9641458d3ec42def729fde64669abf07f3220cd5 <0f71f852a96af9685858ce59fda34ecbf85c283d; version=9641458d3ec42def729fde64669abf07f3220cd5 <17f78c0c0d41d738ee236eb6e841e39395188054; version=9641458d3ec42def729fde64669abf07f3220cd5 <25e3641beb51333bfbb155af2fd2573a61113af2; version=9641458d3ec42def729fde64669abf07f3220cd5 <8d931a75a38b9bb584a4071f5ebbd52755fc35ee; version=9641458d3ec42def729fde64669abf07f3220cd5 <a48a889b60f73edb0399a8b08284a2ab0bd0295f

Published CVSS scores

7.0Red HatCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
9.8Linux CNACVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/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-825Expired Pointer Dereference
T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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