CVE-2026-74661: Linux kernel · mac802154: fix netdev use-after-free in beacon worker
Source GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.8 High.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 14:05 UTC
- 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.
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 22 Aug 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.
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mac802154: fix netdev use-after-free in beacon worker mac802154_beacon_worker() reads local->beacon_req under RCU and derives the sub-interface from the request, but then drops the RCU read lock and continues to use both sdata and the embedded wpan_dev. mac802154_stop_beacons_locked() cancels only pending beacon work, clears local->beacon_req and frees the request. A beacon worker that is already running can therefore continue after interface teardown and dereference the freed netdev private area. The scan worker already pins the netdev before leaving RCU. Apply the same lifetime rule to the beacon worker: take a netdev reference while the request is still protected by RCU, and release it on all paths that continue after the reference is acquired.
References
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-74661 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/5f26a690e8efa54315e4922368daf54e0b8f5515 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/9d067e581597c462c51fee8a30b51bc48a68c4e1 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/e5fb0e03bc7f45508c182a427357bf6b389a9033 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/e6cd416a899edc912b428c4ba399bd73f516cb31 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/fe820dcc1d8ff77783a9d2bcc93b98c99ac6d517 (opens in a new tab)