CVE-2026-74359

Kernel memory corruption via dangling configfs dentry

Published Aug 15, 2026 · Updated Aug 15, 2026

Use-after-free in Linux configfs allows local users to corrupt memory through a failed inode allocation during directory lookup. configfs_lookup leaves the surviving configfs_dirent s_dentry pointer uncleared when inode allocation fails, and a later getdents call dereferences the freed dentry for its inode number. Exploitation requires local access to a mounted configfs directory with a registered subsystem and can corrupt kernel memory or crash the system.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.13%
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 Linux configfs allows local users to corrupt memory through a failed inode allocation during directory lookup. configfs_lookup leaves the surviving configfs_dirent s_dentry pointer uncleared when inode allocation fails, and a later getdents call dereferences the freed dentry for its inode number. Exploitation requires local access to a mounted configfs directory with a registered subsystem and can corrupt kernel memory or crash the system.

The record

CVE
CVE-2026-74359
Published
Aug 15, 2026
Updated
Aug 15, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-825, 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

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=2.6.16
  2. Affected versionversion=3d0f89bb169482d26d5aa4e82e763077e7e9bc4d <10da12d352b7b2bb330a8609fdda9a58bf0e9856
  3. Affected versionversion=3d0f89bb169482d26d5aa4e82e763077e7e9bc4d <3e83b2203aa59bd279e4f677ec793d49dc9d019e
  4. Affected versionversion=3d0f89bb169482d26d5aa4e82e763077e7e9bc4d <57088b06109f3222963c639d8d743f42c2899b13
  5. Affected versionversion=3d0f89bb169482d26d5aa4e82e763077e7e9bc4d <9c747dcee164ead300de90550ad9e4122f0d1bbb
  6. Affected versionversion=3d0f89bb169482d26d5aa4e82e763077e7e9bc4d <b6e9c82522ddaa3ac0706b295ff4a71975d4f883
  7. Affected versionversion=3d0f89bb169482d26d5aa4e82e763077e7e9bc4d <c3b073a209a9baa691b744318ac929fecdd8847c
  8. Affected versionversion=3d0f89bb169482d26d5aa4e82e763077e7e9bc4d <eee07d769da5ac4e4f7bd0bc17828646a318d499

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=2.6.16; version=3d0f89bb169482d26d5aa4e82e763077e7e9bc4d <10da12d352b7b2bb330a8609fdda9a58bf0e9856; version=3d0f89bb169482d26d5aa4e82e763077e7e9bc4d <3e83b2203aa59bd279e4f677ec793d49dc9d019e; version=3d0f89bb169482d26d5aa4e82e763077e7e9bc4d <57088b06109f3222963c639d8d743f42c2899b13; version=3d0f89bb169482d26d5aa4e82e763077e7e9bc4d <9c747dcee164ead300de90550ad9e4122f0d1bbb; version=3d0f89bb169482d26d5aa4e82e763077e7e9bc4d <b6e9c82522ddaa3ac0706b295ff4a71975d4f883; version=3d0f89bb169482d26d5aa4e82e763077e7e9bc4d <c3b073a209a9baa691b744318ac929fecdd8847c; version=3d0f89bb169482d26d5aa4e82e763077e7e9bc4d <eee07d769da5ac4e4f7bd0bc17828646a318d499

Published CVSS scores

7.0Red HatCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.8Linux Kernel CNACVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/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
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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