CVE-2026-74325 Linux CVE debrief

Who should care

Linux kernel users and administrators, cybersecurity teams monitoring Linux deployments, and developers responsible for maintaining and updating the Linux kernel should be aware of this vulnerability and take necessary steps to address it. This includes verifying and applying available patches, monitoring Linux kernel updates for potential backports or related security advisories, and performing inventory checks to identify affected Linux kernel versions and deployments. Additionally, operators and platform administrators should review the vulnerability's impact on their systems and take appropriate measures to mitigate potential risks. Vulnerability management and security teams should also be aware of this vulnerability and prioritize patching and mitigation efforts accordingly. Security teams should review the vulnerability's CVSS score and severity to determine the level of risk and prioritize remediation efforts. Linux kernel developers and maintainers should also be aware of this vulnerability and take necessary steps to address it, including reviewing and updating the Linux kernel codebase to prevent similar vulnerabilities in the future. Affected product deployments should be identified and owners assigned for follow-up. Official advisories or CVE records should be reviewed to validate affected scope, severity, and vendor guidance. Vendor-supported updates or mitigations should be planned through normal change control where exposure is confirmed. Compensating controls should be reviewed for exposed systems while remediation is scheduled and verified. Relevant monitoring, detection, and logs should be checked for exposed assets that need extra review. Exceptions should be tracked, remediated assets retested, and the item only closed after evidence is documented. The Linux kernel community should also be aware of this vulnerability and contribute to the development of patches and mitigations. Linux distribution maintainers should also be aware of this vulnerability and prioritize patching and mitigation efforts for their distributions. Users of Linux-based systems should also be aware of this vulnerability and take necessary steps to address it, including

Technical summary

The CVE-2026-74325 vulnerability involves a use-after-free issue in the Linux kernel's mt76_put_vif_phy_link function. The function improperly frees memory using kfree instead of kfree_rcu, potentially allowing for exploitation via the TX datapath. Developers have resolved this by replacing kfree with kfree_rcu(mlink, rcu_head). The vulnerability affects Linux kernel users and administrators, as well as cybersecurity teams monitoring Linux deployments.

Defensive priority

Linux kernel users should verify and apply available patches to prevent potential use-after-free vulnerability exploitation.

Recommended defensive actions

• Verify and apply available patches for the Linux kernel to address the CVE-2026-74325 vulnerability.
• Monitor Linux kernel updates for potential backports or related security advisories.
• Perform inventory checks to identify affected Linux kernel versions and deployments.
• Confirm whether affected product deployments exist in managed environments and assign an owner for follow-up.
• Review the supplied official advisory or CVE record to validate affected scope, severity, and vendor guidance.
• Plan vendor-supported updates or mitigations through normal change control where exposure is confirmed.
• Check relevant monitoring, detection, and logs for exposed assets that need extra review.

Evidence notes

The CVE-2026-74325 vulnerability involves a use-after-free issue in the Linux kernel's mt76_put_vif_phy_link function. The function improperly frees memory using kfree instead of kfree_rcu, potentially allowing for exploitation via the TX datapath. Developers have resolved this by replacing kfree with kfree_rcu(mlink, rcu_head).

Official resources