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VulnerabilityPublished Updated

CVE-2026-43016: Linux kernel · bpf: sockmap: Fix use-after-free of sk->sk_socket in sk_psock_verdict_data_ready().

Affects Linux kernelSource CVE Database V5

0

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.8 High · fixed in af95bc39a83d82ae6ad253986335037256888b3f : patch Linux kernel soon.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 17:30 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score
7.8High
How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.
EPSS
0.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 2% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
CISA SSVC
Exploitation
No evidence of active exploitation and no public proof of concept
Automatable
Attackers cannot reliably automate steps 1–4 of the kill chain
Technical impact
Total control over the software or total information disclosure

CISA SSVC assessment, 2026-10-16.

Patch
Available – fixed in af95bc39a83d82ae6ad253986335037256888b3f, ad8391d37f334ee73ba91926f8b4e4cf6d31ea04, 68187f18a89be4b6237d28ae1313b5adf76238c6 +2
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Exploitation evidence

  1. Disclosed: evidence found.

    CVE published 1 May 2026

  2. Detectable: no evidence on record.

    No public nuclei template indexed

  3. Weaponised: no evidence on record.

    No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB

  4. Exploited in the wild: no evidence on record.

    Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation

  5. Observed by OffSeq Mirage: no evidence on record.

    No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.

What to do

Upgrade to a fixed release listed under Affected software.

Affected software

ProductAffectedFixed in
LinuxLinuxAffected
  • ≥ c63829182c37c2d6d0608976d15fa61ebebe9e6b, < af95bc39a83d82ae6ad253986335037256888b3f
Fixed in
  • af95bc39a83d82ae6ad253986335037256888b3f
LinuxLinuxAffected
  • ≥ c63829182c37c2d6d0608976d15fa61ebebe9e6b, < ad8391d37f334ee73ba91926f8b4e4cf6d31ea04
Fixed in
  • ad8391d37f334ee73ba91926f8b4e4cf6d31ea04
LinuxLinuxAffected
  • ≥ c63829182c37c2d6d0608976d15fa61ebebe9e6b, < 68187f18a89be4b6237d28ae1313b5adf76238c6
Fixed in
  • 68187f18a89be4b6237d28ae1313b5adf76238c6
LinuxLinuxAffected
  • ≥ c63829182c37c2d6d0608976d15fa61ebebe9e6b, < 18861f87a043e78b1f901cae4237e755ed7ef095
Fixed in
  • 18861f87a043e78b1f901cae4237e755ed7ef095
LinuxLinuxAffected
  • ≥ c63829182c37c2d6d0608976d15fa61ebebe9e6b, < 8d597e3e74027900ffa81b8ff47ab51999a3e110
Fixed in
  • 8d597e3e74027900ffa81b8ff47ab51999a3e110
LinuxLinuxAffected
  • =5.15
Fixed in–

AI-suggested

A fix for this vulnerability is available and has been applied in specific Linux kernel commits. Users and administrators should update to a Linux kernel version that includes these fixes. There are no vendor advisories indicating that no action is required or that the issue is already mitigated without patching. Therefore, applying the official patches is the recommended mitigation.

Description

CVE-2026-43016 is a use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's BPF sockmap implementation. It occurs due to improper handling of the sk->sk_socket pointer in the sk_psock_verdict_data_ready() function, which can lead to accessing freed memory. This flaw was reported by syzbot and involves AF_UNIX sockets where the peer socket's sk_socket might be freed after an RCU grace period despite reference counting. The vulnerability has been fixed in specific Linux kernel commits.

References

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