Kernel use-after-free via invalid ACPICA namespace node
Published Sep 24, 2026 · Updated Sep 24, 2026
Use-after-free in Linux ACPICA allows attackers to trigger a freed-memory read through malformed ACPI AML during table processing. During ACPI table parsing and method termination, acpi_ns_build_normalized_path() treats a freed walk-state pointer as a namespace node and reads its four-byte name without validating the descriptor type. Reachability requires crafted ACPI table content; the published reproducer demonstrates an AddressSanitizer-detected heap read, but no stronger consequence is documented.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in Linux ACPICA allows attackers to trigger a freed-memory read through malformed ACPI AML during table processing. During ACPI table parsing and method termination, acpi_ns_build_normalized_path() treats a freed walk-state pointer as a namespace node and reads its four-byte name without validating the descriptor type. Reachability requires crafted ACPI table content; the published reproducer demonstrates an AddressSanitizer-detected heap read, but no stronger consequence is documented.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-97448
- Published
- Sep 24, 2026
- Updated
- Sep 24, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- Unavailable
- Attack vector
- Unavailable
- Privileges
- Unavailable
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Sep 24, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Sep 24, 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=0 <6.12.111
- Affected versionversion=0 <6.18.53
- Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <21a73528579fcbd673b668bd27a05b658123bc1b
- Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <96b2b616870e46e2bc04efec03879683a0036e66
- Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <babb146ceb79e71f328788f1e2c8c7c224026e61
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
No CVSS assessment is available in this record.
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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
- ACPICA issue 1138 acpiexec reproducerproof of concept · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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