HighFix available

audit: fix potential use-after-free in audit_del_rule()

Type: advisorySources: OSV

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: audit: fix potential use-after-free in audit_del_rule() `audit_del_rule()` destroys `e->rule.exe` via `audit_remove_mark_rule()` before unlinking the rule from RCU-visible filter lists and waiting for a grace period. Concurrent readers in `audit_filter()` and `audit_filter_rules()` still dereference `e->rule.exe`, while the fsnotify mark can be freed on an independent lifetime path. This creates a use-after-free window during rule deletion. Fix this by unlinking the rule from the RCU-visible lists and invoking `synchronize_rcu()` before calling `audit_remove_mark_rule()` (and other rule removal helpers). This ensures that all existing RCU readers have exited the critical section before any underlying resources are destroyed.

Products: Kernel
Affected versions: Not specified
Fixed versions: 5.10.265, 5.15.216, 6.1.183, 6.12.103, 6.18.44, 6.6.151, 7.1.8
CVEs: CVE-2026-74512
Confirmed fixed CVEs: Not specified
Updated in this feed: 2 Nov 2026, 21:18 UTC · Revision 1

Source evidence

audit: fix potential use-after-free in audit_del_rule()

core-osv · Original source

Published 15 Aug 2026, 12:27 UTC

osv:CVE-2026-74512

Kernel

Fixed versions: 5.10.265, 5.15.216, 6.1.183, 6.6.151, 6.12.103, 6.18.44, 7.1.8

Complete source record

{
  "id": "1d32c0049623637574df6bb7b095707aff4b3493c76bb4fa01256ea1c0afb83c",
  "url": "https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-74512",
  "method": "structured",
  "payload": {
    "kind": "advisory",
    "title": "audit: fix potential use-after-free in audit_del_rule()",
    "summary": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: audit: fix potential use-after-free in audit_del_rule() `audit_del_rule()` destroys `e->rule.exe` via `audit_remove_mark_rule()` before unlinking the rule from RCU-visible filter lists and waiting for a grace period. Concurrent readers in `audit_filter()` and `audit_filter_rules()` still dereference `e->rule.exe`, while the fsnotify mark can be freed on an independent lifetime path. This creates a use-after-free window during rule deletion. Fix this by unlinking the rule from the RCU-visible lists and invoking `synchronize_rcu()` before calling `audit_remove_mark_rule()` (and other rule removal helpers). This ensures that all existing RCU readers have exited the critical section before any underlying resources are destroyed.",
    "evidence": "osv:CVE-2026-74512",
    "products": [
      {
        "name": {
          "value": "Kernel",
          "evidence": "/affected/1/package/name"
        },
        "prerequisites": [],
        "fixed_versions": [
          {
            "value": "5.10.265",
            "evidence": "/affected/1/ranges"
          },
          {
            "value": "5.15.216",
            "evidence": "/affected/1/ranges"
          },
          {
            "value": "6.1.183",
            "evidence": "/affected/1/ranges"
          },
          {
            "value": "6.6.151",
            "evidence": "/affected/1/ranges"
          },
          {
            "value": "6.12.103",
            "evidence": "/affected/1/ranges"
          },
          {
            "value": "6.18.44",
            "evidence": "/affected/1/ranges"
          },
          {
            "value": "7.1.8",
            "evidence": "/affected/1/ranges"
          }
        ],
        "affected_versions": []
      }
    ],
    "severity": "high",
    "structured": {
      "id": "CVE-2026-74512",
      "aliases": [
        "CVE-2026-74512"
      ],
      "metrics": [
        {
          "type": "CVSS_V3",
          "score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
        }
      ],
      "affected": [
        {
          "ranges": [
            {
              "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
              "type": "GIT",
              "events": [
                {
                  "introduced": "34d99af52ad40bd498ba66970579a5bc1fb1a3bc"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "93616c567469510b7bba55b2674e0c4523fd7e64"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "3f82927b399d7a276c0c12b6ff4424b747a0c9a7"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "8ae135a8962be9d4e8a131eb18eb06cdf02a47ce"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "45bf3df5b32e5a49953e7ceabc55f7dd85380e46"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "78bde7e9bd36eaae1b8e8cfcd47f12a34f301dbf"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "cae0dfed5d307b240bff71c3cf206652d1b6f215"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "5b8f46864f06d6dbacb7dcea52bc084dfd122638"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "246df90b5f1a8a6e6abbd2f058b029558720adec"
                }
              ]
            }
          ],
          "database_specific": {
            "source": "https://storage.googleapis.com/cve-osv-conversion/osv-output/CVE-2026-74512.json"
          }
        },
        {
          "ranges": [
            {
              "type": "ECOSYSTEM",
              "events": [
                {
                  "introduced": "4.3.0"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "5.10.265"
                }
              ]
            },
            {
              "type": "ECOSYSTEM",
              "events": [
                {
                  "introduced": "5.11.0"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "5.15.216"
                }
              ]
            },
            {
              "type": "ECOSYSTEM",
              "events": [
                {
                  "introduced": "5.16.0"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "6.1.183"
                }
              ]
            },
            {
              "type": "ECOSYSTEM",
              "events": [
                {
                  "introduced": "6.2.0"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "6.6.151"
                }
              ]
            },
            {
              "type": "ECOSYSTEM",
              "events": [
                {
                  "introduced": "6.7.0"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "6.12.103"
                }
              ]
            },
            {
              "type": "ECOSYSTEM",
              "events": [
                {
                  "introduced": "6.13.0"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "6.18.44"
                }
              ]
            },
            {
              "type": "ECOSYSTEM",
              "events": [
                {
                  "introduced": "6.19.0"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "7.1.8"
                }
              ]
            }
          ],
          "package": {
            "name": "Kernel",
            "ecosystem": "Linux"
          },
          "database_specific": {
            "source": "https://storage.googleapis.com/cve-osv-conversion/osv-output/CVE-2026-74512.json"
          }
        }
      ],
      "modified": "2026-10-28T02:30:23.566306032Z",
      "provider": "osv",
      "references": [
        "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/246df90b5f1a8a6e6abbd2f058b029558720adec",
        "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3f82927b399d7a276c0c12b6ff4424b747a0c9a7",
        "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/45bf3df5b32e5a49953e7ceabc55f7dd85380e46",
        "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5b8f46864f06d6dbacb7dcea52bc084dfd122638",
        "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/78bde7e9bd36eaae1b8e8cfcd47f12a34f301dbf",
        "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8ae135a8962be9d4e8a131eb18eb06cdf02a47ce",
        "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/93616c567469510b7bba55b2674e0c4523fd7e64",
        "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/cae0dfed5d307b240bff71c3cf206652d1b6f215",
        "https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2026/74xxx/CVE-2026-74512.json",
        "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-74512",
        "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git"
      ],
      "provider_metadata": {
        "cna_assigner": "Linux",
        "osv_generated_from": "https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2026/74xxx/CVE-2026-74512.json"
      }
    },
    "related_cves": [
      {
        "value": "CVE-2026-74512",
        "evidence": "/id"
      }
    ],
    "security_relevant": true,
    "severity_evidence": "/severity/0/score"
  },
  "source_id": "core-osv",
  "document_id": 490191,
  "published_at": "2026-08-15T12:27:33.736+00:00"
}