UBUNTU-CVE-2026-64424: Use After Free
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netpoll: fix a use-after-free on shutdown path There is a use-after-free error on netpoll, which is clearly detected by KASAN. BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in rawspinlockirqsave+0x3b/0x80 Read of size 1 at addr ... by task kworker/9:1 Workqueue: events queueprocess Call Trace: skbdequeue+0x1e/0xb0 queueprocess+0x2c/0x600 processscheduledworks+0x4b6/0x850 workerthread+0x414/0x5a0 Allocated by task 242: netpollsetup+0x201/0x4a0 netpollsetup+0x249/0x550 enabledstore+0x32f/0x380 Freed by task 0: kfree+0x1b7/0x540 rcucore+0x3f8/0x7a0 The problem happens when there is a pending TX worker running in parallel with the cleanup path. This is what happens on netpoll shutdown path: 1) netpollcleanup() is called 2) set dev->npinfo to NULL 3) callrcu() with rcucleanupnetpollinfo() 3.1) rcucleanupnetpollinfo() tries to cancel all workers with canceldelayedwork(), but doesn't wait for the worker to finish 4) and kfree(npinfo); Because 3.1) doesn't really cancel the work, as the comment says "we can't call canceldelayedworksync here, as we are in softirq", the TX worker can run after 4). Tl;DR: queueprocess() is not an RCU reader, it reaches npinfo through the work item via containerof(). Use disabledelayedworksync() to ensure the worker is completely stopped and prevent any future re-arming attempts. Once npinfo is set to NULL, senders will bail out and not queue new work. The disable flag ensures any in-flight re-arming attempts also fail silently. In the future, we can do the cleanup inline here without needing the npinfo->rcu rcuhead, but that is net-next material.
Affected Software
Remediation
Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.
- Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linuxto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-147.147 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-awsto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1067.70 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-aws-7.0to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1012.12~24.04.1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-azureto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1071.79 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-azure-7.0to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1014.14~24.04.1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-azure-fdeto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1069.76 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-azure-fde-7.0to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1013.13~24.04.1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-gcpto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1071.79 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-gcp-7.0to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1011.11~24.04.1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-gketo a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1066.74 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-gkeopto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1052.56 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-hwe-7.0to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-31.31~24.04.1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-ibmto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1067.68 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-lowlatencyto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-147.147.1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-nvidia-7.0to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1018.18~24.04.1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-oracleto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1064.67 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-oracle-7.0to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1011.11~24.04.1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-riscv-7.0to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-31.31.1~24.04.1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-bluefieldto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1033.38 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-realtimeto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.1-1062.63 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-aws-fipsto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1067.70+fips1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-azure-fipsto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1071.79+fips1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-fipsto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-147.147+fips1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-gcp-fipsto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1071.79+fips1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linuxto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-31.31 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-awsto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1012.12 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-azureto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1014.14 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-azure-fdeto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1013.13 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-gcpto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1011.11 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-gketo a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1006.7 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-ibmto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1013.13 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-nvidiato a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1018.18 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-nvidia-bosto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-2018.18 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-oem-7.0to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1013.13 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-oracleto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1011.11 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-raspito a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1019.19 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-realtimeto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-31.31.1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-riscvto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-31.31.1 - Compensating control
In the netpoll shutdown cleanup path, use disable_delayed_work_sync() to completely stop the TX worker and prevent future re-arming attempts before freeing npinfo.
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
Which systems are exposed to this issue?
Ubuntu systems using the listed Linux kernel packages are affected if netpoll is configured and its shutdown path can run while a TX worker is pending. The affected package families listed are linux, linux-fips, linux-aws, linux-azure, linux-aws-fips, linux-azure-fips, linux-gcp, and linux-gcp-fips.
What conditions are required to trigger the flaw?
A local attacker needs low privileges. Exploitation requires a race during netpoll shutdown in which a pending TX worker runs in parallel with cleanup after the netpoll information has been freed.
What is the potential impact?
The vulnerability is a use-after-free condition in the kernel netpoll shutdown path. The provided severity vector indicates high impact to confidentiality, integrity, and availability.