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Linux KernelOperating system · Linux

CVE-2026-53112

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-06-24
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 5.10.258 / 5.15.209 or later.
See remediation →
80/100
Remediation priority · High
Zero-click 8 weeks old

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: wifi: rtlwifi: pci: fix possible use-after-free caused by unfinished irq_prepare_bcn_tasklet The irq_prepare_bcn_tasklet is initialized in rtl_pci_init() and scheduled when RTL_IMR_BCNINT interrupt is triggered by hardware. But it is never killed in rtl_pci_deinit(). When the rtlwifi card probe fails or is being detached, the ieee80211_hw is deallocated. However, irq_prepare_bcn_tasklet may still be running or pending, leading to use-after-free when the freed ieee80211_hw is accessed in _rtl_pci_prepare_bcn_tasklet(). Similar to irq_tasklet, add tasklet_kill() in rtl_pci_deinit() to ensure that irq_prepare_bcn_tasklet is properly terminated before the ieee80211_hw is released. The issue was identified through static analysis.

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:>= 2.6.38, < 5.10.258>= 5.11, < 5.15.209>= 5.16, < 6.1.175>= 6.2, < 6.6.141>= 6.7, < 6.12.91>= 6.13, < 6.18.33>= 6.19, < 7.0.10

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 5.10.258 / 5.15.209 / 6.1.175 or later
Fixed in 5.10.2585.15.2096.1.175
Recommended fix High confidence

Upgrade to Linux kernel version 5.10.258, 5.15.209, 6.1.175, or 6.6.141 (or later stable releases)

  1. Identify the rtl_pci_deinit() function in the rtlwifi pci driver source code (typically in drivers/net/wireless/realtek/rtlwifi/pci.c)
  2. Locate where other cleanup/destroy operations are performed in rtl_pci_deinit()
  3. Add a call to tasklet_kill(&rtlpriv->irq_prepare_bcn_tasklet) before the ieee80211_hw is freed to ensure the tasklet is properly terminated
  4. Rebuild the Linux kernel with the fix applied
  5. Reboot or reload the rtlwifi module to ensure the new code is active
Caveat Kernel upgrades may introduce changes to other drivers or system interfaces; ensure compatibility with hardware and other software before upgrading

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-2026-53112 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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