CVE-2026-53389net/tcp-ao: fix use-after-free of key in del_async path
- 7.8HighCVSS base score
- 0.13%Exploitation in 30 daysEPSS · top 97% of all CVEs
- NoKnown exploitednot in CISA's KEV catalog
- NonePublic exploitsnone known yet
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/tcp-ao: fix use-after-free of key in del_async path In tcp_ao_delete_key(), the del_async path skips the current_key and rnext_key validity checks present in the synchronous path, assuming these pointers are always NULL on LISTEN sockets. However, if a key was added with set_current=1/set_rnext=1 while the socket was in CLOSE state, current_key and rnext_key will be non-NULL after listen() transitions the socket to LISTEN. When such a key is deleted with del_async=1, hlist_del_rcu() and call_rcu() free the key without clearing the dangling pointers. After the RCU grace period, getsockopt(TCP_AO_INFO) dereferences current_key->sndid and rnext_key->rcvid from freed slab memory. Clear current_key and rnext_key in the del_async path when they reference the key being deleted.
Timeline
ID reserved
By Linux
- 40 days later
· 40 days later
Published
- 29 days later
· 29 days later
Record updated
Changes after publication (a new score, a public exploit, EPSS crossing 1, 10 or 50 %, leaving KEV) are kept since November 2026; earlier ones are not known.
Scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| LinuxCNA (assigner) | 3.1 | High7.8 | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
| NVDNVD · Analyzed | 3.1 | High7.8 | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
- EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)
- 0.13% · top 97% of all CVEs (12 Nov 2026)
The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: High 7.8.
Affected products
- affected d6732b95b6fbbc6d5bb9d2f809e275763640c4a2 – < 6ce7ef41743740ce15c2061561b784148b565b3f
- affected d6732b95b6fbbc6d5bb9d2f809e275763640c4a2 – < e77fbefd1269b5c123e7c651a1ebdce1b87d19a0
- affected d6732b95b6fbbc6d5bb9d2f809e275763640c4a2 – < 7ddc29a094d96e9b3aa280433c6dc443df9eabf2
- affected d6732b95b6fbbc6d5bb9d2f809e275763640c4a2 – < 5ba9950bc9078e19b69cca1e56d1553b125c6857
- affected 6.7
- unaffected < 6.7
- unaffected 6.12.95 – ≤ 6.12.*
- unaffected 6.18.38 – ≤ 6.18.*
- unaffected 7.1.3 – ≤ 7.1.*
- unaffected 7.2 – ≤ *
References
References4
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6ce7ef41743740ce15c2061561b784148b565b3f (opens in a new tab)
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e77fbefd1269b5c123e7c651a1ebdce1b87d19a0 (opens in a new tab)
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7ddc29a094d96e9b3aa280433c6dc443df9eabf2 (opens in a new tab)
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5ba9950bc9078e19b69cca1e56d1553b125c6857 (opens in a new tab)
Sources
The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.
- CVE.org record (opens in a new tab)
- CVE List JSON (GitHub) (opens in a new tab)
- NVD (opens in a new tab)
- FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
- EUVD EUVD-2026-45511 (opens in a new tab)
- OSV.dev (opens in a new tab)
- GitHub Advisories (opens in a new tab)
- CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup (opens in a new tab)
Badge for a README or a ticket
[](https://cveledger.app/cve/CVE-2026-53389)Record last updated .