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Response snapshot Nov 3, 2026, 20:56 UTC

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VulnerabilityCVE-2026-64541

Linux kernel: net/smc: fix UAF in smc_cdc_rx_handler() by pinning the socket

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/smc: fix UAF in smc_cdc_rx_handler() by pinning the socket smc_cdc_rx_handler() looks up the connection by token under the link group's conns_lock, drops the lock, and then dereferences conn and the smc_sock derived from it, ending in sock_hold(&smc->sk) inside smc_cdc_msg_recv().

At a glance

Exploited
Not known
Severity
9.8 Critical (CVSS 3.1)
Chance of exploitation
Not estimated
Sources
1 source

What to do

Check the vendor advisory for affected versions and fixes.

Read NVD CVE-2026-64541 (opens a new tab)

What happened

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

net/smc: fix UAF in smc_cdc_rx_handler() by pinning the socket

smc_cdc_rx_handler() looks up the connection by token under the link group's conns_lock, drops the lock, and then dereferences conn and the smc_sock derived from it, ending in sock_hold(&smc->sk) inside smc_cdc_msg_recv(). No reference is held across the lock release.

The only reference pinning the socket while the connection is discoverable in the link group is taken in smc_lgr_register_conn() (sock_hold) and dropped in __smc_lgr_unregister_conn() (sock_put), both under conns_lock. Once the handler drops conns_lock, a concurrent close() -> smc_release() -> smc_conn_free() -> smc_lgr_unregister_conn() can drop that reference and free the smc_sock, so the handler's later sock_hold() runs on freed memory:

Continue reading

WARNING: lib/refcount.c:25 at refcount_warn_saturate Workqueue: rxe_wq do_work refcount_warn_saturate (lib/refcount.c:25) smc_cdc_msg_recv (net/smc/smc_cdc.c:430) smc_cdc_rx_handler (net/smc/smc_cdc.c:502) smc_wr_rx_tasklet_fn (net/smc/smc_wr.c:445) tasklet_action_common (kernel/softirq.c:938) handle_softirqs (kernel/softirq.c:622) Kernel panic - not syncing: panic_on_warn set

Only SMC-R is affected. The SMC-D receive tasklet is stopped by tasklet_kill(&conn->rx_tsklet) in smc_conn_free() before the connection is unregistered, so it cannot run concurrently with the free.

Take the socket reference while still holding conns_lock, so the registration reference can no longer be the last one, and drop it once the handler is done.

Scores and how they were measured

CVSS base severity

9.8

Version 3.1As of

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Measurement source (opens a new tab)

How bad it is if exploited. Not a prediction of exploitation or proof you are exposed.

EPSS probability

Not available

A model's estimate of exploitation in the next 30 days, not certainty or your own risk.

Related technology

Sources

  1. Primary source

    NVD CVE-2026-64541 (opens a new tab)

    NVD record: description, CVSS (the CNA score is preferred), affected products, and publication date. Not evidence of exploitation.

    Published Checked

  2. Primary source

    NVD CVE API 2.0 (opens a new tab)

    The NVD API page that supplied this CVE record.

    Published Date not suppliedChecked

  3. Primary source

    NVD CVE API 2.0 (opens a new tab)

    The NVD API page that supplied this CVE record.

    Published Date not suppliedChecked

  4. Primary source

    NVD CVE API 2.0 (opens a new tab)

    The NVD API page that supplied this CVE record.

    Published Date not suppliedChecked

Cite this record

For factual claims, cite the primary sources above; cite KEVWire for its compilation, dates, and classifications.

APA

KEVWire. (2026, November 3). Linux kernel: net/smc: fix UAF in smc_cdc_rx_handler() by pinning the socket (CVE-2026-64541). https://kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-64541

MLA

"Linux kernel: net/smc: fix UAF in smc_cdc_rx_handler() by pinning the socket (CVE-2026-64541)." KEVWire, 3 Nov. 2026, kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-64541.

Chicago

KEVWire. "Linux kernel: net/smc: fix UAF in smc_cdc_rx_handler() by pinning the socket (CVE-2026-64541)." Last modified November 3, 2026. https://kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-64541.

Evidence summary (plain text)

Linux kernel: net/smc: fix UAF in smc_cdc_rx_handler() by pinning the socket (Jul 27, 2026).
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

net/smc: fix UAF in smc_cdc_rx_handler() by pinning the socket

smc_cdc_rx_handler() looks up the connection by token under the link
group's conns_lock, drops the lock, and then dereferences conn and the
smc_sock derived from it, ending in sock_hold(&smc->sk) inside
smc_cdc_msg_recv(). No reference is held across the lock release.
CVSS 9.8 (version 3.1; evidence as of Nov 3, 2026; https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-64541).
Sources:
NVD CVE-2026-64541: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-64541
NVD CVE API 2.0: https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?lastModStartDate=2026-11-03T18:06:04.789Z&lastModEndDate=2026-11-03T19:40:57.574Z&resultsPerPage=500&startIndex=0
NVD CVE API 2.0: https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?lastModStartDate=2026-11-03T17:35:57.416Z&lastModEndDate=2026-11-03T19:05:57.748Z&resultsPerPage=500&startIndex=0
NVD CVE API 2.0: https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?lastModStartDate=2026-11-03T17:01:00.112Z&lastModEndDate=2026-11-03T18:35:55.788Z&resultsPerPage=500&startIndex=0
Record ID: CVE-2026-64541.
Record origin: Ingested record.
AI evidence: Not assessed.
Known exploitation: Not assessed.
Zero-day status: Not assessed. KEV membership alone does not establish zero-day status.
About this data

This record was ingested from a data source. Retrieved: Nov 3, 2026, 19:40 UTC. Ingestion is not an independent editorial investigation.

NVD status: Awaiting Analysis. Publication in the NVD is not evidence of exploitation.

A CISA KEV listing documents known exploitation, not necessarily a zero-day; absence from the catalog does not prove a vulnerability has never been exploited.

Technology tags indicate possible relevance, not verified exposure. Confirm the affected product, version, and configuration against your own inventory; KEVWire does not scan your systems.

A personal reading checklist on this device, not verified remediation.

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Record details

Record detail