VulnerabilityPublished 15 Aug 2026Updated 6 Nov 2026

CVE-2026-74566: Linux kernel · keys: make keyring key-chunk byte order agree with keyring_diff_objects()

Affects Linux kernelSource CVE Database V5

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Not known to be exploited · fixed in f81920917074e3c4ad4fba06fe8c56738d010606 : update Linux kernel when convenient.

Data as of 6 Nov 2026, 17:56 UTC

Severity

Low

Rated Low by Threat Radar's AI analysis · CVSS not yet scored by NVD

Thin evidence

One scorer or none

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: Limited control over the software or limited information exposure

CISA SSVC assessment, 2026-11-06.

Patch

Available – fixed in f81920917074e3c4ad4fba06fe8c56738d010606, bd0f976ef89dce6db458bf75bc2cf51127becc41, abe43c661efb753d5ee35ad8ace4bbb16fa9afd0 +5

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 15 Aug 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponized: 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 6 Nov 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponized: A Metasploit exploit module or Exploit-DB entry exists (Metasploit scanner modules do not count), or CISA SSVC or the CVSS exploit maturity reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Upgrade to a fixed release listed under Affected software.

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
LinuxLinux	Affected ≥ f771fde82051976a6fc0fd570f8b86de4a92124b, < f81920917074e3c4ad4fba06fe8c56738d010606	Fixed in f81920917074e3c4ad4fba06fe8c56738d010606
LinuxLinux	Affected ≥ f771fde82051976a6fc0fd570f8b86de4a92124b, < bd0f976ef89dce6db458bf75bc2cf51127becc41	Fixed in bd0f976ef89dce6db458bf75bc2cf51127becc41
LinuxLinux	Affected ≥ f771fde82051976a6fc0fd570f8b86de4a92124b, < abe43c661efb753d5ee35ad8ace4bbb16fa9afd0	Fixed in abe43c661efb753d5ee35ad8ace4bbb16fa9afd0
LinuxLinux	Affected ≥ f771fde82051976a6fc0fd570f8b86de4a92124b, < 58565eef0f8d861aae92abfb7658458d661cee17	Fixed in 58565eef0f8d861aae92abfb7658458d661cee17
LinuxLinux	Affected ≥ f771fde82051976a6fc0fd570f8b86de4a92124b, < 7269df3e7fcfa308e6a456305162f7788747bdbd	Fixed in 7269df3e7fcfa308e6a456305162f7788747bdbd
LinuxLinux	Affected ≥ f771fde82051976a6fc0fd570f8b86de4a92124b, < 414bcf37d81ce9b3823aabc06b04c97fdcbe489b	Fixed in 414bcf37d81ce9b3823aabc06b04c97fdcbe489b

AI-suggested

A fix is available and has been applied in the Linux kernel. Users should update to a fixed kernel version containing the commits listed in the established facts. No additional mitigation actions are required as the patch resolves the byte order inconsistency.

Description

A vulnerability in the Linux kernel keyring subsystem caused inconsistent byte order handling between keyring key-chunk loading and key comparison functions. This discrepancy could lead to crafted key descriptions colliding into the same node in the in-memory keyring structure, potentially affecting key placement within a keyring. The issue was fixed by aligning the byte order and bit position handling in the affected functions.

Impact

The vulnerability affects the in-memory ordering of keys within a keyring, potentially allowing crafted keys to collide into the same node. This could impact key management integrity within the kernel keyring subsystem. However, add, search, and read operations for keys that do not collide are unaffected. There is no indication of remote exploitation or broader system compromise from this issue.

Summary

The Linux kernel keyring subsystem had a vulnerability where keyring_get_key_chunk() loaded description bytes in a different byte order than keyring_diff_objects() expected. This mismatch caused the system to incorrectly identify the first differing bit between keys, allowing crafted key descriptions to collide into a single node in the in-memory keyring structure. The fix involved loading the chunk in the order assumed by keyring_diff_objects() and adjusting the byte index folding to drop the inline-prefix length, thereby correcting the in-memory ordering used to place keys within a keyring. This change does not affect add, search, or read operations for non-colliding keys.

References

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 6 Nov 2026, 17:56 UTC

Technical details

References

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