Kernel-level vulnerability in Linux affects wide range of systems; can cause memory corruption/use-after-free with potential crashes or privilege escalation — merits org-wide attention.
CVE-2026-74434
Linux kernel rxrpc MSG_PEEK bug causes use-after-free and memory corruption.
Is CVE-2026-74434 being exploited?
Not confirmed. CVE-2026-74434 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 0.34% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How severe is CVE-2026-74434?
CVE-2026-74434 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-2026-74434?
Yes. A fix has been recorded for CVE-2026-74434. The vendor advisory is the authority on the exact fixed version — apply it from there rather than from a summary.
What does CVE-2026-74434 affect?
CVE-2026-74434 affects Linux kernel (rxrpc subsystem). Confirm the exact affected versions against the vendor advisory before deciding you are exposed.
What should I do about CVE-2026-74434?
Install vendor kernel updates and reboot affected hosts immediately.
Exploitation status reflects CISA's KEV catalog as we last synced it. Check the catalog directly.
Kernel memory corruption and use-after-free via rxrpc MSG_PEEK; may cause crashes, privilege escalation, or remote code execution.
Immediate action required
- affected>= 5800b1cf3fd8ccab752a101865be1e76dac33142 and < 9ada3931beb37068fcb725b34b0398457009f343
- affected>= 5800b1cf3fd8ccab752a101865be1e76dac33142 and < 5f470cc883416fea6d3bce18ef96bf91dd49ffc3
- affected>= 5800b1cf3fd8ccab752a101865be1e76dac33142 and < 5801cff7d5d7b4e9d877dfb627b23eb63167f02c
- affected6.16
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.