Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HCVSS and EPSS are reproduced from their sources (NVD, FIRST EPSS). Risk Priority is our own derived reading, not an NVD score.
Summary
CVE-2026-31507 is a high-severity Double Free (CWE-415) vulnerability in Linux Linux Kernel. Its CVSS base score is 7.8 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploitation of Remote Services (T1210); ranked at the 7th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to SA-11 (Developer Testing and Evaluation) and SA-8 (Security and Privacy Engineering Principles) — see the control section below for these in your framework.
Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary
Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.
CVE-2026-31507 is a double-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's Shared Memory Communications (SMC) implementation, specifically in the net/smc subsystem. The issue arises in smc_rx_splice(), which allocates an smc_spd_priv structure per pipe_buffer and stores its pointer in pipe_buffer.private. When tee(2) duplicates a pipe buffer, the generic_pipe_buf_get callback only increments the page reference count without handling the shared smc_spd_priv pointer. Subsequent release of both pipes triggers smc_rx_pipe_buf_release() twice on the same object, leading to a kfree() of the already-freed memory, additional sock_put() calls, and smc_rx_update_cons() invocations. This results in a slab-use-after-free (UAF) detected by KASAN, escalating to a NULL pointer dereference in smc_rx_update_consumer() and a kernel panic.
A local attacker with low privileges (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N) can exploit this vulnerability by using tee(2) to duplicate an SMC splice pipe buffer and then closing the pipes, triggering the double-free and UAF. The CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.8 (C:H/I:H/A:H) reflects high impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability in the unprivileged user scope (S:U). Exploitation leads to a kernel panic via the NULL pointer dereference, causing a denial of service, with potential for further memory corruption given the UAF.
Patches addressing this vulnerability are available in Linux kernel stable trees via commits such as 24dd586bb4cbba1889a50abe74143817a095c1c9, 3cc76380fea749280c026f410af56a28aaac388a, 54c87a730157868543ebdfa0ecb21b4590ed23a5, 7bcb974c771c863e8588cea0012ac204443a7126, and 7e8916f46c2f48607f907fd401590093753a6bc5. The fix modifies the .get callback to return -EFAULT for tee(2) and splice_pipe_to_pipe() partial transfers, preventing buffer duplication. Users requiring duplication of SMC socket data must switch to a copy-based read path, as duplicating splice buffers is semantically invalid and corrupts receive-window accounting (CWE-415).
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2026-24885
Vulnerability Data
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/smc: fix double-free of smc_spd_priv when tee() duplicates splice pipe buffer smc_rx_splice() allocates one smc_spd_priv per pipe_buffer and stores the pointer in pipe_buffer.private. The pipe_buf_operations for these buffers used .get…
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= generic_pipe_buf_get, which only increments the page reference count when tee(2) duplicates a pipe buffer. The smc_spd_priv pointer itself was not handled, so after tee() both the original and the cloned pipe_buffer share the same smc_spd_priv *. When both pipes are subsequently released, smc_rx_pipe_buf_release() is called twice against the same object: 1st call: kfree(priv) sock_put(sk) smc_rx_update_cons() [correct] 2nd call: kfree(priv) sock_put(sk) smc_rx_update_cons() [UAF] KASAN reports a slab-use-after-free in smc_rx_pipe_buf_release(), which then escalates to a NULL-pointer dereference and kernel panic via smc_rx_update_consumer() when it chases the freed priv->smc pointer: BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in smc_rx_pipe_buf_release+0x78/0x2a0 Read of size 8 at addr ffff888004a45740 by task smc_splice_tee_/74 Call Trace: <TASK> dump_stack_lvl+0x53/0x70 print_report+0xce/0x650 kasan_report+0xc6/0x100 smc_rx_pipe_buf_release+0x78/0x2a0 free_pipe_info+0xd4/0x130 pipe_release+0x142/0x160 __fput+0x1c6/0x490 __x64_sys_close+0x4f/0x90 do_syscall_64+0xa6/0x1a0 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f </TASK> BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000020 RIP: 0010:smc_rx_update_consumer+0x8d/0x350 Call Trace: <TASK> smc_rx_pipe_buf_release+0x121/0x2a0 free_pipe_info+0xd4/0x130 pipe_release+0x142/0x160 __fput+0x1c6/0x490 __x64_sys_close+0x4f/0x90 do_syscall_64+0xa6/0x1a0 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f </TASK> Kernel panic - not syncing: Fatal exception Beyond the memory-safety problem, duplicating an SMC splice buffer is semantically questionable: smc_rx_update_cons() would advance the consumer cursor twice for the same data, corrupting receive-window accounting. A refcount on smc_spd_priv could fix the double-free, but the cursor-accounting issue would still need to be addressed separately. The .get callback is invoked by both tee(2) and splice_pipe_to_pipe() for partial transfers; both will now return -EFAULT. Users who need to duplicate SMC socket data must use a copy-based read path.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Control response
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- 1 hardening rule · 1 OS baseline
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Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
Developer testing and evaluation explicitly includes dynamic analysis and fuzzing that locate double-free defects before release.
Security engineering principles can require memory-safe allocation patterns or language features that structurally eliminate double-free opportunities.
Flaw remediation processes require identification and correction of memory-management defects such as double free once discovered.
Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Secure SDLC practices directly prevent double-free errors via static analysis, safe memory APIs, and testing.
Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Security testing in development can detect double-free conditions before release.
Secure coding standards directly address proper use of free() and similar functions.
Hardening callouts derived
Configuration rules from DISA STIG baselines that bear on weaknesses of the type cited by this CVE. Each rule is shown with the relationship its mapping actually records, against the CWE it was authored against. Derived via CVE→CWE over `controls_xwalks` (higher-evidence rows only; rows rated `none` are excluded).
Oracle Linux 8 (1 rule)
- V-248590 OL 8 must clear the page allocator to prevent use-after-free attacks. blocks CWE-415