Kernel-level RCE in the Linux TCP/BPF path affects widely deployed Linux systems and could disrupt servers, cloud VMs, and embedded devices.
CVE-2026-74268
Linux kernel TCP/BPF bug may allow kernel RCE via freed child socket.
Is CVE-2026-74268 being exploited?
Not confirmed. CVE-2026-74268 does not appear in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, which records only exploitation that has been observed and reported publicly. That is evidence of absence of a report, not evidence the flaw is unattacked. EPSS currently estimates a 0.69% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How severe is CVE-2026-74268?
CVE-2026-74268 is rated Critical with a CVSS score of 9.8. Severity describes how bad exploitation would be, not how likely it is: pair it with exploitation evidence before deciding what to patch first.
Is there a patch for CVE-2026-74268?
Yes. A fix has been recorded for CVE-2026-74268. The vendor advisory is the authority on the exact fixed version — apply it from there rather than from a summary.
What does CVE-2026-74268 affect?
CVE-2026-74268 affects Linux kernel (TCP/BPF sock_ops), Linux servers, Cloud VMs running Linux, Embedded/IoT Linux devices. Confirm the exact affected versions against the vendor advisory before deciding you are exposed.
What should I do about CVE-2026-74268?
Install kernel updates immediately; restrict BPF usage and limit network exposure.
Exploitation status reflects CISA's KEV catalog as we last synced it. Check the catalog directly.
Attackers can trigger BPF sock_ops callbacks on a freed TCP child socket causing use-after-free, potentially leading to kernel crash or remote code execution.
Immediate action required
- affected>= d44874910a26f3a8f81edf873a2473363f07f660 and < ce311bd2e36596f0aa2c92ca86fb3e019ac57eae
- affected>= d44874910a26f3a8f81edf873a2473363f07f660 and < 8874dafc9099bc49c2e5ebba030f85d276421f92
- affected>= d44874910a26f3a8f81edf873a2473363f07f660 and < 990348e5bb457697c2f1f7f7b65154a3334d9d2b
- affected4.16
As published in the CVE Program record. A version outside these ranges is not a statement that it is unaffected — vendors sometimes understate a range, and distribution-backported builds carry upstream numbers that do not reflect what was patched into them.