CVE-2026-53389: Linux Kernel

High severity, CVSS 7.8. EPSS: 0.1% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/tcp-ao: fix use-after-free of key in del_async path In tcp_ao_delete_key(), the del_async path skips the current_key and rnext_key validity checks present in the synchronous path, assuming these pointers are always NULL on LISTEN sockets. However, if a key was added with set_current=1/set_rnext=1 while the socket was in CLOSE state, current_key and rnext_key will be non-NULL after listen() transitions the socket to LISTEN. When such a key is deleted with del_async=1, hlist_del_rcu() and call_rcu() free the key without clearing the dangling pointers. After the RCU grace period, getsockopt(TCP_AO_INFO) dereferences current_key->sndid and rnext_key->rcvid from freed slab memory. Clear current_key and rnext_key in the del_async path when they reference the key being deleted.

Affected products

• Linux Linux Kernel: from 6.7, before 6.12.95 (fixed in 6.12.95); from 6.13, before 6.18.38 (fixed in 6.18.38); from 6.19, before 7.1.3 (fixed in 7.1.3)

Published 2026-07-19. Last modified 2026-08-17.