Use-After-Free in Linux kernel (CVE-2026-31426)
Summary
Vulnerability in Linux kernel (CVE-2026-31426). Successful exploitation can lead to full system takeover.
Original description
The description as published by the source.
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
ACPI: EC: clean up handlers on probe failure in acpi_ec_setup()
When ec_install_handlers() returns -EPROBE_DEFER on reduced-hardware
platforms, it has already started the EC and installed the address
space handler with the struct acpi_ec pointer as handler context.
However, acpi_ec_setup() propagates the error without any cleanup.
The caller acpi_ec_add() then frees the struct acpi_ec for non-boot
instances, leaving a dangling handler context in ACPICA.
Any subsequent AML evaluation that accesses an EC OpRegion field
dispatches into acpi_ec_space_handler() with the freed pointer,
causing a use-after-free:
BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in mutex_lock (kernel/locking/mutex.c:289)
Write of size 8 at addr ffff88800721de38 by task init/1
Call Trace:
mutex_lock (kernel/locking/mutex.c:289)
acpi_ec_space_handler (drivers/acpi/ec.c:1362)
acpi_ev_address_space_dispatch (drivers/acpi/acpica/evregion.c:293)
acpi_ex_access_region (drivers/acpi/acpica/exfldio.c:246)
acpi_ex_field_datum_io (drivers/acpi/acpica/exfldio.c:509)
acpi_ex_extract_from_field (drivers/acpi/acpica/exfldio.c:700)
acpi_ex_read_data_from_field (drivers/acpi/acpica/exfield.c:327)
acpi_ex_resolve_node_to_value (drivers/acpi/acpica/exresolv.c:392)
Allocated by task 1:
acpi_ec_alloc (drivers/acpi/ec.c:1424)
acpi_ec_add (drivers/acpi/ec.c:1692)
Freed by task 1:
kfree (mm/slub.c:6876)
acpi_ec_add (drivers/acpi/ec.c…
Source: NIST National Vulnerability Database NVD GitHub Advisory
Auto-generated summary
Assembled by SecPulse from the source data (CVSS, CWE, affected versions) using templates — no AI involved. Check the original description and references below for exact details.
A vulnerability tracked as CVE-2026-31426 has been found in Linux kernel.
Successful exploitation can lead to full system takeover. CVSS score: 7.0/10.
What to do: apply the vendor's official patched release.
If unsure, ask your IT team or search "Linux kernel CVE-2026-31426" on the vendor's site.
CVE-2026-31426 (Linux kernel) — CWE-416 / CVSS v3 7.0
Attack vector: local / no user interaction
Plan: 1) Audit SBOM/dependencies, 2) Stage→prod upgrade, 3) Add WAF/proxy monitoring on affected endpoints, 4) Hunt IOCs in logs.
Refs: see the GHSA / vendor advisory / patched release linked on this page.
Use-after-free (CWE-416) exists in Linux kernel.
Check the vendor advisory for the affected versions of Linux kernel.
Severity: High (CVSS 7.0/10). Successful exploitation can lead to full system takeover.
Update to the patched release per vendor advisory.
Until the patch is applied: disable the affected feature, apply WAF rules, or restrict access via network ACLs.
Search webserver/proxy logs for unusual request patterns matching this CVE's known IOCs. Audit SBOM/dependencies to find affected services.
Response actions
Concrete steps and command examples for SOC/SRE teams to execute in order
-
1Identify exposure identify
Audit SBOM/dependencies for affected components.資産台帳・SBOM・依存マニフェストで Linux kernel を使っているサービスとバージョンを洗い出す。
-
2Post-deployment verification verify
Confirm patched version is live in productionパッチ適用後、ステージングで PoC または同等の悪用パターンを再現して脆弱性が閉じたことを確認。本番ではアクセスログ・WAF でアラート再発が無いか継続監視。
Affected packages
Fix status by distribution
Fixed packages published by each distribution for this CVE
- BellSoft Alpaquita BELL-CVE-2026-31426 linux-lts Fixed in: 6.1.168-r0
- Debian DEBIAN-CVE-2026-31426 linux
- Ubuntu UBUNTU-CVE-2026-31426 linux-hwe-edge
References
- advisory nvd.nist.gov
- advisory github.com
- package git.kernel.org
- web git.kernel.org
- web git.kernel.org
- web git.kernel.org
- web git.kernel.org
- web git.kernel.org
- web git.kernel.org
- web github.com