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major vulnerability· requires attention

Kernel-level vulnerability in widely deployed Linux vhost-net (virtualization networking); can disrupt virtual hosts and cloud infrastructure.

Systems

CVE-2026-74310

9.3
Critical
EPSS 0.14%Patch availableAug 17, 2026

Linux kernel vhost-net use-after-free in zerocopy skb handling.

common questions

Is CVE-2026-74310 being exploited?

Not confirmed. CVE-2026-74310 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 0.14% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How severe is CVE-2026-74310?

CVE-2026-74310 is rated Critical with a CVSS score of 9.3. 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-2026-74310?

Yes. A fix has been recorded for CVE-2026-74310. The vendor advisory is the authority on the exact fixed version — apply it from there rather than from a summary.

What does CVE-2026-74310 affect?

CVE-2026-74310 affects Linux kernel (vhost-net/virtio zerocopy), KVM/QEMU hosts with vhost-net enabled, Virtualization hosts, cloud VM hosts, network appliances using vhost-net. Confirm the exact affected versions against the vendor advisory before deciding you are exposed.

What should I do about CVE-2026-74310?

Install vendor kernel patches for vhost-net and reboot affected hosts; disable vhost-net if patching is delayed.

Exploitation status reflects CISA's KEV catalog as we last synced it. Check the catalog directly.

executive summary
technical analysis
affected
Linux kernel (vhost-net/virtio zerocopy)KVM/QEMU hosts with vhost-net enabledVirtualization hosts, cloud VM hosts, network appliances using vhost-net
impact

Use-after-free in vhost-net zerocopy can cause kernel memory corruption, crashes, and enable privilege escalation or remote code execution.

action required

Immediate action required

affected versions
Linux Linux
  • affected>= bab632d69ee48a106e779b60cc01adfe80a72807 and < ea71f873423fb73e66ad88936d6759ac0ad4aa53
  • affected>= bab632d69ee48a106e779b60cc01adfe80a72807 and < 6445b945024f4c7675ae5352b2d5885cb1deea71
  • affected>= bab632d69ee48a106e779b60cc01adfe80a72807 and < a9f8a1d2e3ff511eafd4c5462481950c2f4d2b5d
  • affected>= bab632d69ee48a106e779b60cc01adfe80a72807 and < 321c73baf54d971ce3771fea275c98a247f7ee35
  • affected>= bab632d69ee48a106e779b60cc01adfe80a72807 and < c069437924663539a93a1e5afe90838d9ccee284
  • affected>= bab632d69ee48a106e779b60cc01adfe80a72807 and < 8f6898fe80794f2d7c3d38c1158c806e4074a1c4
  • affected3.1
vendor says fixed in< 3.1, >= 6.1.178 and <= 6.1.*, >= 6.6.145 and <= 6.6.*, >= 6.12.97 and <= 6.12.*, >= 6.18.40 and <= 6.18.*, >= 7.1.5 and <= 7.1.*, >= 7.2 and <= *

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.

how to fix
Remediation steps are tailored for users whose stack is affected. Add this technology to your stack to see the fix checklist.
references
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