CVE-2026-64109 Details
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: af_unix: Fix UAF read of tail->len in unix_stream_data_wait() unix_stream_data_wait() does skb_peek_tail(&sk->sk_receive_queue) without holding any lock that prevents SKBs on that queue from being dequeued and freed. This has been the case since commit 79f632c71bea ("unix/stream: fix peeking with an offset larger than data in queue"). The first consequence of this is that the pointer comparison `tail != last` can be false even if `last` semantically refers to an already-freed SKB while `tail` is a new SKB allocated at the same address; which can cause unix_stream_data_wait() to wrongly keep blocking after new data has arrived, but only in a weird scenario where a peeking recv() and a normal recv() on the same socket are racing, which is probably not a real problem. But since commit 2b514574f7e8 ("net: af_unix: implement splice for stream af_unix sockets"), `tail` is actually dereferenced, which can cause UAF in the following race scenario (where test_setup() runs single-threaded, and afterwards, test_thread1() and test_thread2() run concurrently in two threads: ``` static int socks[2]; void test_setup(void) { socketpair(AF_UNIX, SOCK_STREAM, 0, socks); send(socks[1], "A", 1, 0); int peekoff = 1; setsockopt(socks[0], SOL_SOCKET, SO_PEEK_OFF, &peekoff, sizeof(peekoff)); } void test_thread1(void) { char dummy; recv(socks[0], &dummy, 1, MSG_PEEK); } void test_thread2(void) { char dummy; recv(socks[0], &dummy, 1, 0); shutdown(socks[1], SHUT_WR); } ``` when racing like this: ``` thread1 thread2 unix_stream_read_generic mutex_lock(&u->iolock) skb_peek(&sk->sk_receive_queue) skb_peek_next(skb, &sk->sk_receive_queue) mutex_unlock(&u->iolock) unix_stream_read_generic unix_state_lock(sk) skb_peek(&sk->sk_receive_queue) unix_state_unlock(sk) unix_stream_data_wait unix_state_lock(sk) tail = skb_peek_tail(&sk->sk_receive_queue) spin_lock(&sk->sk_receive_queue.lock) __skb_unlink(skb, &sk->sk_receive_queue) spin_unlock(&sk->sk_receive_queue.lock) consume_skb(skb) [frees the SKB] `tail != last`: false `tail`: true `tail->len != last_len` ***UAF*** ``` Fix the UAF by removing the read of tail->len; checking tail->len would only make sense if SKBs in the receive queue of a UNIX socket could grow, which can no longer happen. Kuniyuki explained: > When commit 869e7c62486e ("net: af_unix: implement stream sendpage > support") added sendpage() support, data could be appended to the last > skb in the receiver's queue. > > That's why we needed to check if the length of the last skb was changed > while waiting for new data in unix_stream_data_wait(). > > However, commit a0dbf5f818f9 ("af_unix: Support MSG_SPLICE_PAGES") and > commit 57d44a354a43 ("unix: Convert unix_stream_sendpage() to use > MSG_SPLICE_PAGES") refactored sendmsg(), and now data is always added > to a new skb. That means this fix is not suitable for kernels before 6.5.
A use-after-free vulnerability has been identified in the Linux kernel's handling of Unix domain stream sockets. The issue arises in the 'unix_stream_data_wait' function, which reads the tail of the receive queue without proper locking. This oversight allows for socket buffer (SKB) structures to be dequeued and freed while still being referenced, leading to potential memory corruption. The vulnerability can be exploited in a race condition where a peeking receive operation and a normal receive operation on the same socket overlap, causing the function to incorrectly manage incoming data. This flaw has existed since a previous commit that introduced similar peeking functionality, but it has become exploitable with the addition of 'splice' support for Unix stream sockets in a later version.
Users should upgrade to Linux kernel version 6.5 or later, where this vulnerability has been fixed.
Metrics
CVSS 4.0 Severity and Vector Strings:
No CVSS 4.0 data is available for this CVE.
CVSS 3.x Severity and Vector Strings:
No data available for CVSS Version 2.0 on this CVE.
No SSVC data is available for this CVE.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
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| URL | Source(s) | Tag(s) |
|---|---|---|
| https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/26342087fac93b3932e6af61dc91ec029cb8a623 | kernel.org | Patch |
| https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/38bccb927d83d7d52e5b20015a172a0b6101d11e | kernel.org | Patch |
| https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5f162f95a95834f06a8ec6140889272ad12e842f | kernel.org | Patch |
| https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/acdff9907478e82208475b1151700d0b71dcdc63 | kernel.org | Patch |
| https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/be309f8eae8b474a4a617eaae01324da996fc719 | kernel.org | Patch |
Weakness Enumeration
| CWE-ID | CWE Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| CWE-416 | Use After Free | [email protected] |
Affected Products
| Product | Versions |
|---|---|
| linux linux kernel | >= 4.2, < 6.6.143 >= 6.7, < 6.12.92 >= 6.13, < 6.18.34 >= 6.19, < 7.0.11 7.1 rc1 7.1 rc2 7.1 rc3 7.1 rc4 |
CPE
Remediation
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Change History
3 change records found show changes
| Date | Action | Recorded By |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 12, 2026 | Initial Analysis | [email protected] |
| Jul 20, 2026 | CVE Modified | kernel.org |
| Jul 19, 2026 | New CVE Received | kernel.org |