CVE-2026-46317: linux Use After Free

Vulnerability summary

CVE-2026-46317 is a high (CVSS 8.8) Use After Free vulnerability in linux. EPSS estimates a 0.13% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 2% of scored vulnerabilities.

Timeline

1. 09-06-2026
   PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
2. 19-10-2026
   Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: KVM: arm64: Reassign nested_mmus array behind mmu_lock kvm->arch.nested_mmus[] is walked under kvm->mmu_lock, including from the MMU notifier path (kvm_unmap_gfn_range() -> kvm_nested_s2_unmap()), which can run at any time. kvm_vcpu_init_nested() reallocates the array and frees the old buffer while holding only kvm->arch.config_lock, so such a walker can reference the freed array. Allocate the new array outside of mmu_lock, as the allocation can sleep. Under the lock, copy the existing entries, fix up the back pointers and reassign the array. Free the old buffer after dropping the lock, as kvfree() can sleep as well.

• CWE-416Use After FreeThe product reuses or references memory after it has been freed. At some point afterward, the memory may be allocated again and saved in another pointer, while the original pointer references a location somewhere within the new allocation. Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory "belongs" to the code that operates on the new pointer.