CVE-2026-45251: Kernel use-after-free via file descriptor syscalls

Published May 21, 2026
·
Updated

A file descriptor can be closed while a thread is blocked in a poll(2) or select(2) call waiting for that descriptor. Because the blocked thread does not hold a reference to the underlying object, this closure may result in the object being freed while the thread remains blocked. In this situation, the kernel must remove the blocked thread from the per-object wait queue prior to freeing the object. In the case of some file descriptor types, the kernel failed to unlink blocked threads from the object before freeing it. When the blocked thread is subsequently woken, it accesses memory that has already been freed resulting in a use-after-free vulnerability. The use-after-free vulnerability may be triggered by an unprivileged local user and can be exploited to obtain superuser privileges.

Affected Software

30 affected components
Linux Linux kernel
FreeBSD FreeBSD=14.3
FreeBSD FreeBSD=14.3-p1
FreeBSD FreeBSD=14.3-p10
FreeBSD FreeBSD=14.3-p11
FreeBSD FreeBSD=14.3-p12
FreeBSD FreeBSD=14.3-p13
FreeBSD FreeBSD=14.3-p2
FreeBSD FreeBSD=14.3-p3
FreeBSD FreeBSD=14.3-p4
FreeBSD FreeBSD=14.3-p5
FreeBSD FreeBSD=14.3-p6
FreeBSD FreeBSD=14.3-p7
FreeBSD FreeBSD=14.3-p8
FreeBSD FreeBSD=14.3-p9
FreeBSD FreeBSD=14.4
FreeBSD FreeBSD=14.4-p1
FreeBSD FreeBSD=14.4-p2
FreeBSD FreeBSD=14.4-p3
FreeBSD FreeBSD=14.4-p4
FreeBSD FreeBSD=14.4-rc1
FreeBSD FreeBSD=15.0
FreeBSD FreeBSD=15.0-p1
FreeBSD FreeBSD=15.0-p2
FreeBSD FreeBSD=15.0-p3
FreeBSD FreeBSD=15.0-p4
FreeBSD FreeBSD=15.0-p5
FreeBSD FreeBSD=15.0-p6
FreeBSD FreeBSD=15.0-p7
FreeBSD FreeBSD=15.0-p8

Event History

May 21, 2026
CVE Published
via MITRE·09:04 AM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·09:04 AM
DescriptionWeakness
Data Sourced
via NVD·10:16 AM
DescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software
Free Weekly Intel

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Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2026-45251?

CVE-2026-45251 has a high severity rating of 7.8 according to the CVSS v3.1 scoring.

2

How do I fix CVE-2026-45251?

To mitigate CVE-2026-45251, it is recommended to update your FreeBSD or Linux kernel to the latest patched version that addresses this vulnerability.

3

What systems are affected by CVE-2026-45251?

CVE-2026-45251 affects FreeBSD and the Linux kernel, particularly related to file descriptor handling.

4

What impact does CVE-2026-45251 have?

CVE-2026-45251 can lead to potential denial of service or arbitrary code execution due to use-after-free conditions.

5

When was CVE-2026-45251 published?

CVE-2026-45251 was published on May 21, 2026.

Contact

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