Linux KernelOperating system · Linux

CVE-2026-22995

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-01-23
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 6.18.6 or later.
See remediation →
80/100
Remediation priority · High
Zero-click Patch available

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ublk: fix use-after-free in ublk_partition_scan_work A race condition exists between the async partition scan work and device teardown that can lead to a use-after-free of ub->ub_disk: 1. ublk_ctrl_start_dev() schedules partition_scan_work after add_disk() 2. ublk_stop_dev() calls ublk_stop_dev_unlocked() which does: - del_gendisk(ub->ub_disk) - ublk_detach_disk() sets ub->ub_disk = NULL - put_disk() which may free the disk 3. The worker ublk_partition_scan_work() then dereferences ub->ub_disk leading to UAF Fix this by using ublk_get_disk()/ublk_put_disk() in the worker to hold a reference to the disk during the partition scan. The spinlock in ublk_get_disk() synchronizes with ublk_detach_disk() ensuring the worker either gets a valid reference or sees NULL and exits early. Also change flush_work() to cancel_work_sync() to avoid running the partition scan work unnecessarily when the disk is already detached.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis
How this class of weakness works · CWE-416

Memory is used after it has been freed, so its contents — now potentially attacker-controlled — drive the program's behaviour. With careful heap grooming this becomes code execution. The fix requires disciplined ownership of memory and often a targeted rework of the object lifecycle.

General guidance for the use after free class — the official description and references above are authoritative for this specific CVE. Want a bespoke review and a reviewed fix? Ask our team →

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Linux KernelOperating system
Affected:>= 6.18.4, < 6.18.6= 6.19

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 6.18.6 or later
Fixed in 6.18.6
Vendor patch git.kernel.org →
Recommended fix High confidence

Linux Kernel 6.18.6 or later, or Linux Kernel 6.19.1 or later

  1. Identify the current running Linux kernel version using `uname -r`
  2. If running kernel version >= 6.18.4 and < 6.18.6, or exactly 6.19, the system is vulnerable
  3. Upgrade to Linux kernel version 6.18.6 or later, or to a version newer than 6.19 (e.g., 6.19.1 or later)
  4. After kernel upgrade, reboot the system to load the fixed kernel
  5. Verify the fix is applied by checking the kernel version and confirming the ublk driver no longer exhibits the UAF vulnerability
Caveat Kernel upgrades may require system reboot and could have compatibility implications with custom modules or specific hardware drivers; ensure backup and test in staging environment before production deployment

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

We can perform the upgrade in your staging environment and verify nothing breaks — typical engagement from $3,200. Get the upgrade done

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2026-22995 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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