CVE-2026-74562
Linux kernel IPv6 nexthop use-after-free can crash kernel or enable local privilege escalation
Is CVE-2026-74562 being exploited?
Not confirmed. CVE-2026-74562 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 0.11% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How severe is CVE-2026-74562?
CVE-2026-74562 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-2026-74562?
Yes. A fix has been recorded for CVE-2026-74562. The vendor advisory is the authority on the exact fixed version — apply it from there rather than from a summary.
What does CVE-2026-74562 affect?
CVE-2026-74562 affects Linux kernel (net/ipv4/nexthop.c), Linux kernel (net/ipv6/route.c), Systems running affected mainline/stable Linux kernels. Confirm the exact affected versions against the vendor advisory before deciding you are exposed.
What should I do about CVE-2026-74562?
Update Linux kernel to patched release and restrict netlink/rtnetlink access until patched.
Exploitation status reflects CISA's KEV catalog as we last synced it. Check the catalog directly.
Crafted rtnetlink/nexthop messages can trigger a use-after-free, causing kernel crash (DoS) or possible local privilege escalation/arbitrary kernel code execution.
Patch when possible
- affected>= 081efd18326e353c6fbfdeff903a83edde953f72 and < bb2b072c619c1f741a6234257050f72005dc63ef
- affected>= 081efd18326e353c6fbfdeff903a83edde953f72 and < 072cd1f21819dedd2252e704d255de3b0cfc61a7
- 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.