CVE-2026-52973: Linux kernel · Use After Free
Affects Linux kernelSource GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.8 High : upgrade to 10.2 or 9.8 soon.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 13:47 UTC
- EPSS
- 0.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 7% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
- Patch
- Available – fixed in 10.2, 9.8
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 24 Jun 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by 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 the Red Hat redhat/kernel package to 10.2 or 9.8.
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
Red Hatredhat/kernelpkg:rpm/redhat/kernelOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.
AI-suggested
Official patches fixing this vulnerability are available from Red Hat for Red Hat Enterprise Linux versions 9.8 and 10.2. Users should apply the kernel updates provided in advisories RHSA-2026:45114 and RHSA-2026:47040 and reboot affected systems to ensure the fix takes effect. There are no vendor advisories indicating that no action is required; therefore, applying the official updates is the recommended mitigation.
Description
A vulnerability in the Linux kernel futex subsystem related to the CLONE_THREAD requirement for private default hash allocation has been resolved. The issue involved incorrect assumptions about concurrency when sharing memory mappings (mm) in ways other than pthread semantics, leading to use-after-free bugs. This could cause kernel memory corruption and crashes. The vulnerability has been addressed by loosening the check to cover any CLONE_VM clone except vfork, preventing the race conditions. Red Hat has released security updates for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 and 10 to fix this issue. The updates require system reboot to take effect.
References
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-52973 (opens in a new tab)
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:45114 (opens in a new tab)
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:47040 (opens in a new tab)
- access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-52973 (opens in a new tab)
- bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2492413 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/1dcd36420af2da5bd59306dba9caf78e3d248b1d (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/974ac49a9a068b0591a59f65c63eb06579a13091 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/ee9dce44362b2d8132c32964656ab6dff7dfbc6a (opens in a new tab)
- security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-52973.json (opens in a new tab)