CVE-2026-72071

Status: ReceivedHigh (7.8)—

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

tracing/user_events: Fix use-after-free in user_event_mm_dup()

user_event_mm_dup() walks the parent mm's enabler list locklessly under rcu_read_lock() during fork() (from copy_process()); it does not take event_mutex:

user_event_enabler_destroy() removes an enabler from that list with list_del_rcu() and then, without waiting for a grace period, drops the enabler's user_event reference with user_event_put() and frees the enabler with kfree(). A reader that loaded the enabler before the list_del_rcu() can still be walking it, which leads to two use-after-frees:

Read full descriptionShow less

Both are reachable by an unprivileged task that can open user_events_data: one multithreaded process that registers an enabler and then concurrently unregisters it and calls fork() triggers the race. KASAN reports a slab-use-after-free in user_event_mm_dup() during clone(), with a "refcount_t: addition on 0" warning when the user_event is freed.

The enabler use-after-free was found first; the user_event one was reported by XIAO WU, and the earlier enabler-only fix did not address it.

Defer both the user_event_put() and the kfree(enabler) to a work item queued with queue_rcu_work(), so they run only after an RCU grace period, once all readers walking the enabler list have finished. The put must run in process context because user_event_put() takes event_mutex on the last reference, so a work queue is used rather than call_rcu(). The now-unlocked put lets the locked argument of user_event_enabler_destroy() be removed; all callers are updated.

Technical details traces, logs and code from the original report

	rcu_read_lock();
	list_for_each_entry_rcu(enabler, &old_mm->enablers, mm_enablers_link)
		enabler->event = user_event_get(orig->event);

 - kfree(enabler) frees the enabler while that reader dereferences
   enabler->event.

 - user_event_put() may drop the last reference to the user_event, which
   is then freed (via delayed_destroy_user_event() on a work queue), while
   the same reader does user_event_get(orig->event) on it.

CVSS

Version: 3.1
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Base score: 7.8

Exploitation probability (EPSS)

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 0.17%
Percentile among all scored CVEs: 6
Score date: 10/5/2026

EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System, FIRST) estimates how likely a vulnerability is to be exploited in the wild within 30 days. It complements CVSS (impact) and CISA KEV (confirmed exploitation).

🎯 ATT&CK techniques

How this vulnerability is exploited and what the attacker gains, in MITRE ATT&CK terms.

ExploitationT1068 Exploitation for Privilege Escalationprivilege escalation85 %
Primary impactT1499.004 Application or System Exploitationimpact75 %
Secondary impactT1005 Data from Local Systemcollection65 %

Escalada local (AV:L PR:L) sin interacción del usuario en kernel Linux; use-after-free accesible por tarea sin privilegios causa DoS (crash/refcount) y potencial lectura de memoria (KASAN) en fork().

Inferred by our analysis agent from the official description, CVSS vector and CWE, and checked by a supervisor. May contain errors.

🛡️ ATT&CK mitigations that cover these techniques

Threat Intelligence Program Filter Network Traffic Execution Prevention Application Isolation and Sandboxing Exploit Protection Update Software

Affected technologies (1)

⚠ AI-inferred from the description — NVD hasn't analyzed this CVE yet, these aren't verified CPEs.

Linux — Linux Kernel^AI

References

Raw JSON (NVD)

Show

{
  "id": "CVE-2026-72071",
  "cveTags": [],
  "metrics": {
    "cvssMetricV31": [
      {
        "type": "Secondary",
        "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
        "cvssData": {
          "scope": "UNCHANGED",
          "version": "3.1",
          "baseScore": 7.8,
          "attackVector": "LOCAL",
          "baseSeverity": "HIGH",
          "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
          "integrityImpact": "HIGH",
          "userInteraction": "NONE",
          "attackComplexity": "LOW",
          "availabilityImpact": "HIGH",
          "privilegesRequired": "LOW",
          "confidentialityImpact": "HIGH"
        },
        "impactScore": 5.9,
        "exploitabilityScore": 1.8
      }
    ]
  },
  "affected": [
    {
      "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
      "affectedData": [
        {
          "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
          "vendor": "Linux",
          "product": "Linux",
          "versions": [
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "7235759084a4f8524a46bd2638885ff3b34ce279",
              "lessThan": "25acb6711da6fa0382744fa92bd6d42a22c1ae68",
              "versionType": "git"
            },
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "7235759084a4f8524a46bd2638885ff3b34ce279",
              "lessThan": "95400e7039cdfeb0b53652d521d766f1698cae95",
              "versionType": "git"
            },
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "7235759084a4f8524a46bd2638885ff3b34ce279",
              "lessThan": "b33ac2d39953efb12f598c0dae242c5f644ea669",
              "versionType": "git"
            },
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "7235759084a4f8524a46bd2638885ff3b34ce279",
              "lessThan": "05b24f68f78ff3a1ef7f015f7327b35886b741f6",
              "versionType": "git"
            },
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "7235759084a4f8524a46bd2638885ff3b34ce279",
              "lessThan": "50fd6dd755c6e48a38af2fa4621167eea56829c2",
              "versionType": "git"
            }
          ],
          "programFiles": [
            "kernel/trace/trace_events_user.c"
          ],
          "defaultStatus": "unaffected"
        },
        {
          "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
          "vendor": "Linux",
          "product": "Linux",
          "versions": [
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "6.4"
            },
            {
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "0",
              "lessThan": "6.4",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "6.6.148",
              "versionType": "semver",
              "lessThanOrEqual": "6.6.*"
            },
            {
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "6.12.97",
              "versionType": "semver",
              "lessThanOrEqual": "6.12.*"
            },
            {
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "6.18.40",
              "versionType": "semver",
              "lessThanOrEqual": "6.18.*"
            },
            {
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "7.1.5",
              "versionType": "semver",
              "lessThanOrEqual": "7.1.*"
            },
            {
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "7.2",
              "versionType": "original_commit_for_fix",
              "lessThanOrEqual": "*"
            }
          ],
          "programFiles": [
            "kernel/trace/trace_events_user.c"
          ],
          "defaultStatus": "affected"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "published": "2026-08-15T06:21:16.820",
  "references": [
    {
      "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/05b24f68f78ff3a1ef7f015f7327b35886b741f6",
      "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/25acb6711da6fa0382744fa92bd6d42a22c1ae68",
      "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/50fd6dd755c6e48a38af2fa4621167eea56829c2",
      "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/95400e7039cdfeb0b53652d521d766f1698cae95",
      "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b33ac2d39953efb12f598c0dae242c5f644ea669",
      "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
    }
  ],
  "vulnStatus": "Received",
  "descriptions": [
    {
      "lang": "en",
      "value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\ntracing/user_events: Fix use-after-free in user_event_mm_dup()\n\nuser_event_mm_dup() walks the parent mm's enabler list locklessly under\nrcu_read_lock() during fork() (from copy_process()); it does not take\nevent_mutex:\n\n\trcu_read_lock();\n\tlist_for_each_entry_rcu(enabler, &old_mm->enablers, mm_enablers_link)\n\t\tenabler->event = user_event_get(orig->event);\n\nuser_event_enabler_destroy() removes an enabler from that list with\nlist_del_rcu() and then, without waiting for a grace period, drops the\nenabler's user_event reference with user_event_put() and frees the enabler\nwith kfree(). A reader that loaded the enabler before the list_del_rcu()\ncan still be walking it, which leads to two use-after-frees:\n\n - kfree(enabler) frees the enabler while that reader dereferences\n   enabler->event.\n\n - user_event_put() may drop the last reference to the user_event, which\n   is then freed (via delayed_destroy_user_event() on a work queue), while\n   the same reader does user_event_get(orig->event) on it.\n\nBoth are reachable by an unprivileged task that can open user_events_data:\none multithreaded process that registers an enabler and then concurrently\nunregisters it and calls fork() triggers the race. KASAN reports a\nslab-use-after-free in user_event_mm_dup() during clone(), with a\n\"refcount_t: addition on 0\" warning when the user_event is freed.\n\nThe enabler use-after-free was found first; the user_event one was reported\nby XIAO WU, and the earlier enabler-only fix did not address it.\n\nDefer both the user_event_put() and the kfree(enabler) to a work item\nqueued with queue_rcu_work(), so they run only after an RCU grace period,\nonce all readers walking the enabler list have finished. The put must run\nin process context because user_event_put() takes event_mutex on the last\nreference, so a work queue is used rather than call_rcu(). The now-unlocked\nput lets the locked argument of user_event_enabler_destroy() be removed;\nall callers are updated."
    }
  ],
  "lastModified": "2026-08-17T06:18:05.650",
  "sourceIdentifier": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
}