Kernel memory corruption via dangling ACPICA return reference
Published Sep 24, 2026 · Updated Sep 24, 2026
Use-after-free in the Linux ACPICA interpreter before 6.12.111 and 6.18.53 allows attackers to corrupt kernel memory via crafted AML. Method teardown deletes local and argument nodes while return_desc can retain a RefOf pointer to those nodes, which AcpiNsResolveReferences later dereferences. Triggering requires an ACPI method to return an unresolved reference to its own local or argument; successful triggering causes a kernel crash or memory corruption.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in the Linux ACPICA interpreter before 6.12.111 and 6.18.53 allows attackers to corrupt kernel memory via crafted AML. Method teardown deletes local and argument nodes while return_desc can retain a RefOf pointer to those nodes, which AcpiNsResolveReferences later dereferences. Triggering requires an ACPI method to return an unresolved reference to its own local or argument; successful triggering causes a kernel crash or memory corruption.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-97455
- 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
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.
- Affected versionversion=0 <6.12.111
- Affected versionversion=0 <6.18.53
- Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <945e87267cfd90937b3c637f87324cbb56998b72
- Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <ef5a8d939c1e5b36e75450bbb5b6348faff4dcf3
- Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <fe7b3d3b7490c2c0119f2d84fa33996dcbc71042
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
No CVSS assessment is available in this record.
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.
Activity data is delayed. The latest report is Sep 28, 2026.
Weakness, pattern, technique
No sourced classifications are available.
Public exploit references
- ACPICA issue 1119 AML reproducerproof of concept · demonstrated
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Technologies
Your stack
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
Check the software in your environment
Get started to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.
Get started