Kernel disruption via unlocked privacy-device access
Published Sep 17, 2026 · Updated Sep 17, 2026
Use-after-free in the Linux 5.14 Dell privacy driver allows local users to disrupt kernel operation via a device-lifetime race. In dell_privacy_has_mic_mute(), list_mutex is released before priv->features_present is read, allowing concurrent freeing of the referenced object. The driver must be active and object teardown must overlap the query; public sources do not specify whether failure causes a hang or crash.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in the Linux 5.14 Dell privacy driver allows local users to disrupt kernel operation via a device-lifetime race. In dell_privacy_has_mic_mute(), list_mutex is released before priv->features_present is read, allowing concurrent freeing of the referenced object. The driver must be active and object teardown must overlap the query; public sources do not specify whether failure causes a hang or crash.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-93131
- Published
- Sep 17, 2026
- Updated
- Sep 17, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- Unavailable
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Sep 17, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Sep 17, 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=8af9fa37b8a3637832cbf8fdd9bd828bd5f0de66 <239ae86b7c97341f49d2ba32037ee3ddbaf0f1ab
- Affected versionversion=8af9fa37b8a3637832cbf8fdd9bd828bd5f0de66 <2d2108685a491b369f95774d0a7579d6e5287215
- Affected versionversion=8af9fa37b8a3637832cbf8fdd9bd828bd5f0de66 <9f860050c3d17ff8499d3998f7534d306c3da50a
- Affected versionversion=8af9fa37b8a3637832cbf8fdd9bd828bd5f0de66 <a22beeb90475b5f71a477564eecf764b24f47277
- Affected versionversion=8af9fa37b8a3637832cbf8fdd9bd828bd5f0de66 <ca9338dbc64759b30741b12017c050b33c94dfa2
- Affected versionversion=8af9fa37b8a3637832cbf8fdd9bd828bd5f0de66 <ef59ff891adf9bd696917f71f841fdb23c245790
- Affected versionversion=8af9fa37b8a3637832cbf8fdd9bd828bd5f0de66 <f3c4532f6dac8fb5504d342e2a15e6353e5eb56e
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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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.
Activity data is delayed. The latest report is Sep 28, 2026.
Weakness, pattern, technique
No sourced classifications are available.
Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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