CVE-2026-72499

Local privilege escalation via CQ toggle use-after-free

Published Aug 15, 2026 · Updated Aug 15, 2026

Use-after-free in the Linux kernel bnxt_re driver allows local users to escalate privileges by destroying an RDMA completion queue. The CQ destroy path frees its toggle page before bnxt_qplib_destroy_cq finishes, allowing an NQ interrupt to write a controlled value into a page returned to the allocator. Exploitation requires RDMA uverbs access and a Gen P7 bnxt_re device; the resulting kernel-memory corruption supports host crashes or privilege escalation.

CVSS severity8.8
High
EPSS probability0.12%
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 kernel bnxt_re driver allows local users to escalate privileges by destroying an RDMA completion queue. The CQ destroy path frees its toggle page before bnxt_qplib_destroy_cq finishes, allowing an NQ interrupt to write a controlled value into a page returned to the allocator. Exploitation requires RDMA uverbs access and a Gen P7 bnxt_re device; the resulting kernel-memory corruption supports host crashes or privilege escalation.

The record

CVE
CVE-2026-72499
Published
Aug 15, 2026
Updated
Aug 15, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 15, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 15, 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=6.8
  2. Affected versionversion=e275919d96693c5ca964b20d73a33d52a7e57f04 <b193854675ecad43b4d69c304c1b6a90b206cc99
  3. Affected versionversion=e275919d96693c5ca964b20d73a33d52a7e57f04 <bb45e06f9914ca64ac95341a80a0c20bb8dd46a9

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=6.8; version=e275919d96693c5ca964b20d73a33d52a7e57f04 <b193854675ecad43b4d69c304c1b6a90b206cc99; version=e275919d96693c5ca964b20d73a33d52a7e57f04 <bb45e06f9914ca64ac95341a80a0c20bb8dd46a9

Published CVSS scores

8.8Linux Kernel CNACVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
5.5SUSECVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

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

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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