Use-After-Free in Linux Kernel Crypto SEC2 Driver

Publication date: 2026-06-24

Last updated on: 2026-07-21

Assigner: kernel.org

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: crypto: hisilicon/sec2 - prevent req used-after-free for sec During packet transmission, if the system is under heavy load, the hardware might complete processing the packet and free the request memory (req) before the transmission function finishes. If the software subsequently accesses this req, a use-after-free error will occur. The qp_ctx memory exists throughout the packet sending process, so replace the req with the qp_ctx.

CVSS Scores

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Meta Information

Published

2026-06-24

Last Modified

2026-07-21

Generated

2026-08-04

AI Q&A

2026-06-24

EPSS Evaluated

2026-08-02

NVD

CVE-2026-53055

EUVD

EUVD-2026-38923

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
linux	linux_kernel	From 6.19 (inc) to 7.0.10 (exc)
linux	linux_kernel	From 6.17 (inc) to 6.18.33 (exc)

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-416	The product reuses or references memory after it has been freed. At some point afterward, the memory may be allocated again and saved in another pointer, while the original pointer references a location somewhere within the new allocation. Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory "belongs" to the code that operates on the new pointer.

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This vulnerability occurs in the Linux kernel's crypto subsystem, specifically in the hisilicon/sec2 driver. During packet transmission under heavy system load, the hardware may finish processing a packet and free the associated request memory (req) before the transmission function completes. If the software then tries to access this freed req memory, a use-after-free error happens. To fix this, the vulnerable code replaces the req pointer with qp_ctx memory, which remains valid throughout the packet sending process.

Impact Analysis

The use-after-free vulnerability can lead to undefined behavior such as system crashes, data corruption, or potential escalation of privileges if exploited. Since it involves accessing freed memory during packet transmission, it could destabilize the system or cause security issues in environments relying on the affected crypto driver.

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