Kernel-level use-after-free in the Linux IOMMUFD subsystem impacts widely deployed Linux systems and can enable privilege escalation or kernel compromise; merits org-wide notice.
CVE-2026-74520
Linux kernel IOMMUFD use-after-free enabling kernel compromise.
Is CVE-2026-74520 being exploited?
Not confirmed. CVE-2026-74520 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 0.13% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How severe is CVE-2026-74520?
CVE-2026-74520 is rated High with a CVSS score of 8.8. 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-2026-74520?
Yes. A fix has been recorded for CVE-2026-74520. The vendor advisory is the authority on the exact fixed version — apply it from there rather than from a summary.
What does CVE-2026-74520 affect?
CVE-2026-74520 affects Linux kernel (iommufd / IOMMU subsystem). Confirm the exact affected versions against the vendor advisory before deciding you are exposed.
What should I do about CVE-2026-74520?
Apply vendor kernel updates that fix the iommufd UAF and reboot affected hosts; restrict untrusted local access.
Exploitation status reflects CISA's KEV catalog as we last synced it. Check the catalog directly.
Local attackers or malicious drivers can trigger a kernel use-after-free, leading to memory corruption, privilege escalation, or denial of service.
Immediate action required
- affected>= 34765cbc679c59ea5d952d738d2d16bf4aadc497 and < 6da8f37419dd4c456f26fc203f04e000186f4b3d
- affected>= 34765cbc679c59ea5d952d738d2d16bf4aadc497 and < 4e74a369236424114b94cf6a9f5ff9e848b430b4
- affected>= 34765cbc679c59ea5d952d738d2d16bf4aadc497 and < 738e6f32e61d80b554e37015ecb7bc620b88001c
- affected6.11
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.