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In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: l2tp: use refcount_inc_not_zero in l2tp_session_get_by_ifname A reader in… (CVE-2026-63918)

0
High
Published: 07/19/2026 (07/19/2026, 18:31:46 UTC)
Source: GCVE Database

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: l2tp: use refcount_inc_not_zero in l2tp_session_get_by_ifname A reader in l2tp_session_get_by_ifname() can return a pointer to a session whose refcount has reached zero. The getter takes its reference with plain refcount_inc(), but every other session getter in the same file (l2tp_v2_session_get, l2tp_v3_session_get, and the corresponding _get_next variants) uses refcount_inc_not_zero() because the IDR/RCU lookup can race with refcount_dec_and_test() -> l2tp_session_free() -> kfree_rcu(). The ifname getter is the only outlier; the inconsistency was raised on-list after 979c017803c4 ("l2tp: use list_del_rcu in l2tp_session_unhash"). A reader inside rcu_read_lock_bh() that matches session->ifname can be preempted between the strcmp() and the refcount_inc(). If the last reference drops on another CPU in that window, the reader's refcount_inc() runs on a counter that has reached zero. refcount_t catches the addition-on-zero, prints "refcount_t: addition on 0; use-after-free", saturates the counter, and returns the saturated pointer to the caller. Session memory is held live by the in-flight RCU read section, but the kfree_rcu() callback queued from l2tp_session_free() will free it once the grace period closes; a caller that dereferences the returned session past that point hits a slab-use-after-free. On PREEMPT_RT local_bh_disable() is a per-CPU sleeping lock and the preemption window is real; on stock PREEMPT kernels local_bh_disable() is a preempt_count increment that closes the cross-CPU race in practice (see below). Use refcount_inc_not_zero() and continue the list walk on failure, matching the other session getters in the file. The ifname getter is the only session getter in net/l2tp/ that still uses the bare refcount_inc() pattern; this change restores file-internal consistency. The success path is unchanged.

CVSS v3.1

Score 7.8high

Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

AI-Powered Analysis

Machine-generated threat intelligence

AILast updated: 07/19/2026, 20:07:33 UTC

Technical Analysis

The vulnerability in the Linux kernel's L2TP code involves the l2tp_session_get_by_ifname() function returning a pointer to a session whose reference count has dropped to zero. The function used refcount_inc() which does not prevent incrementing a zero refcount, potentially causing a use-after-free when the session memory is freed after the RCU grace period. Other session getters use refcount_inc_not_zero() to avoid this race condition. The fix replaces refcount_inc() with refcount_inc_not_zero() in the ifname getter, restoring consistency and preventing the use-after-free scenario.

Potential Impact

If exploited, this vulnerability could lead to a use-after-free condition in the kernel, potentially causing kernel crashes or memory corruption. However, the session memory is held live during the RCU read section, and the actual free happens after the grace period, which may limit exploitation. No known exploits are reported in the wild.

Mitigation Recommendations

Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. The fix involves changing the reference counting method in the kernel source code. Until an official patch is available, users should monitor vendor advisories for updates. No other specific mitigations are indicated.

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Technical Details

Gcve Source
db.gcve.eu
Osv Id
GHSA-9qwr-gw6x-fmgj
Osv Schema Version
1.4.0
Aliases
["CVE-2026-63918"]
Ecosystems
[]
Database Specific Severity
null
Cvss Version
3.1

Threat ID: 6a5d27ab2a4a8d598912f246

Added to database: 07/19/2026, 19:38:19 UTC

Last enriched: 07/19/2026, 20:07:33 UTC

Last updated: 09/02/2026, 22:52:13 UTC

Views: 91

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