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

ipv6: prevent in6_dev_get() from resurrecting inet6_dev

in6_dev_get() reads dev->ip6_ptr under RCU and then unconditionally
increments its refcount. Device teardown can clear the pointer and drop
the last reference between these operations. The increment then
resurrects an object whose RCU free has already been queued, so callers
can use it after it is freed.

Use refcount_inc_not_zero() and return NULL when the object has already
reached zero. RCU keeps the memory accessible through the attempted
reference acquisition, and a successful increment pins the object for
the caller.

An independent run on the exact unpatched 6f5156d7a31a (v7.2-rc3)
kernel reproduced the invalid reference acquisition as UID 1000:

refcount_t: addition on 0; use-after-free.
ip6_mc_source+0xef4/0x17e0

It was followed by the corresponding reference underflow in
ip6_mc_source(). The supplied trace from the same unpatched revision
additionally shows the access after the RCU read-side section ends:

BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in mutex_lock+0x76/0xe0
Write of size 8 at addr ffff888015b50240 by task poc/1219

Bug found and triaged by OpenAI Security Research and
validated by Trail of Bits.
Published: 2026-08-22
Score: n/a
EPSS: n/a
KEV: No
Impact: n/a
Action: n/a
AI Analysis

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Remediation

No vendor fix or workaround currently provided.

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History

Sat, 22 Aug 2026 15:45:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ipv6: prevent in6_dev_get() from resurrecting inet6_dev in6_dev_get() reads dev->ip6_ptr under RCU and then unconditionally increments its refcount. Device teardown can clear the pointer and drop the last reference between these operations. The increment then resurrects an object whose RCU free has already been queued, so callers can use it after it is freed. Use refcount_inc_not_zero() and return NULL when the object has already reached zero. RCU keeps the memory accessible through the attempted reference acquisition, and a successful increment pins the object for the caller. An independent run on the exact unpatched 6f5156d7a31a (v7.2-rc3) kernel reproduced the invalid reference acquisition as UID 1000: refcount_t: addition on 0; use-after-free. ip6_mc_source+0xef4/0x17e0 It was followed by the corresponding reference underflow in ip6_mc_source(). The supplied trace from the same unpatched revision additionally shows the access after the RCU read-side section ends: BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in mutex_lock+0x76/0xe0 Write of size 8 at addr ffff888015b50240 by task poc/1219 Bug found and triaged by OpenAI Security Research and validated by Trail of Bits.
Title ipv6: prevent in6_dev_get() from resurrecting inet6_dev
First Time appeared Linux
Linux linux Kernel
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Linux
Linux linux Kernel
References

Subscriptions

Linux Linux Kernel
cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: Linux

Published:

Updated: 2026-08-22T15:32:11.596Z

Reserved: 2026-08-15T05:44:03.921Z

Link: CVE-2026-74630

cve-icon Vulnrichment

No data.

cve-icon NVD

Status : Received

Published: 2026-08-22T16:16:35.943

Modified: 2026-08-22T16:16:35.943

Link: CVE-2026-74630

cve-icon Redhat

No data.

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

No data.

Weaknesses

No weakness.