critical CVSS 9.8 EPSS 0.43%

CVE-2026-53055·Kernel vulnerability

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.

Severity
critical
Software
Kernel
Fixed in
7.0.10
Published

How likely is exploitation

FIRST's Exploit Prediction Scoring System puts the probability of this CVE being exploited in the next 30 days at 0.43% — higher than 37% of all published CVEs. EPSS is an independent forecast of exploitation, not a severity rating: it says nothing about how much damage a successful attack does, which is what a CVSS score measures.

Read the two together. CVE-2026-53055 scores 9.8 on CVSS, so a successful attack would be serious — but at 0.43%, almost nobody is currently attempting it. That is a different situation from a flaw under mass exploitation, and it is usually the difference between patching on your next maintenance window and patching tonight.

Affected versions

From: 6.19

Until: 7.0.10

Fixed in: 7.0.10

How to fix this CVE

Update your Linux kernel to version 7.0.10 or later to remediate this critical use-after-free vulnerability in the HiSilicon SEC2 crypto driver. The vulnerability occurs when hardware completes packet processing and frees request memory before the transmission function finishes, leading to potential memory corruption and system compromise. Apply the kernel update immediately and reboot your system to ensure the fix is active.

sudo dnf update kernel kernel-devel && sudo reboot

Defensia detects this vulnerability

How to check if you are affected

  1. Check the installed kernel version: uname -r | grep -E '^[6-7]\.' && echo 'Kernel version detected'
  2. Verify if HiSilicon SEC2 driver is loaded: lsmod | grep hisi_sec2 && echo 'SEC2 driver is active' || echo 'SEC2 not loaded'
  3. Monitor dmesg for memory corruption or use-after-free warnings: sudo dmesg | grep -i 'use-after-free\|sec2\|memory corruption' | tail -20
  4. Confirm the kernel version is at least 7.0.10: uname -r | awk -F'.' '{if ($1 >= 7 && $2 >= 0 && $3 >= 10) print "Patched"; else print "Vulnerable"}'

FAQ

What is CVE-2026-53055?

This is a critical use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's HiSilicon SEC2 cryptographic accelerator driver. Under heavy system load, the hardware may complete packet processing and deallocate request memory before the software transmission function finishes accessing it, leading to memory corruption and potential system compromise.

Is CVE-2026-53055 being actively exploited?

No, according to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) database, CVE-2026-53055 is not currently being actively exploited in the wild, and no public exploits are available.

What versions of Kernel are affected by CVE-2026-53055?

Linux kernel versions 6.19 through 7.0.9 are vulnerable. The fix is included in kernel version 7.0.10 and later.

How do I check if my server is vulnerable to CVE-2026-53055?

Run `uname -r` to check your kernel version. If it shows a version between 6.19 and 7.0.9, you are vulnerable. Additionally, verify SEC2 driver presence with `lsmod | grep hisi_sec2`.

Does Defensia detect CVE-2026-53055?

Yes — Defensia's CVE advisory scanner compares installed package versions against the NVD database. If Kernel is installed on a monitored server, CVE-2026-53055 will appear in your dashboard with remediation steps.

Related Kernel CVEs

CVE-2026-63795CVSS 10In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: 9p: avoid putting oldfid in p9_client_walk() error path When p9_client_walk() is called with clone set to false, fid aliases oldfid. If the walk subsequently fails after the request has been sent, the error path jumps to clunk_fid, which currently calls p9_fid_put(fid) unconditionally. This drops a reference to oldfid even though ownership of oldfid remains with the caller. If this is the last reference, oldfid can be clunked and destroyed while the caller still expects it to be valid. A later use or put of oldfid can then trigger a use-after-free or refcount underflow. Fix this by only putting fid in the clunk_fid error path when it does not alias oldfid, matching the existing guard in the error path below. This can be triggered when a multi-component walk is split into multiple p9_client_walk() calls and a later non-cloning walk fails. A reproducer and refcount warning logs are available on request.
CVE-2026-64160CVSS 9.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netfs: Fix potential for tearing in ->remote_i_size and ->zero_point Fix potential tearing in using ->remote_i_size and ->zero_point by copying i_size_read() and i_size_write() and using the same seqcount as for i_size. We need to make sure that netfslib and the filesystems that use it always hold i_lock whilst updating any of the sizes to prevent i_size_seqcount from getting corrupted.
CVE-2026-64125CVSS 9.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: bcmgenet: keep RBUF EEE/PM disabled Setting RBUF_EEE_EN | RBUF_PM_EN in RBUF_ENERGY_CTRL breaks the RX path on GENET hardware once MAC EEE becomes active. RX traffic stops flowing while the link stays up and the usual descriptor/RX error counters remain quiet. In that state the MAC still accepts frames (rbuf_ovflow_cnt keeps climbing) but RBUF no longer forwards them to DMA, so rx_packets is no longer incremented at the netdev level. On some boards the corruption ends up as a paging fault in skb_release_data via bcmgenet_rx_poll on an LPI exit. Reproduced on Pi 4B (BCM2711 + BCM54213PE) and confirmed by Florian Fainelli on an internal Broadcom 4908-family board with the same crash signature. RBUF_PM_EN is not publicly documented. This shows up more often now that phy_support_eee() enables EEE by default, but it also affects older kernels as soon as TX LPI is turned on via ethtool, so it is not specific to recent changes. Always clear RBUF_EEE_EN | RBUF_PM_EN in bcmgenet_eee_enable_set so the bits stay off across resets. UMAC and TBUF setup is left alone so TX-side EEE keeps working.
CVE-2026-64136CVSS 9.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: smb: client: protect tc_count increment in smb2_find_smb_sess_tcon_unlocked() Commit 96c4af418586 ("cifs: Fix locking usage for tcon fields") refactored cifs code to change cifs_tcp_ses_lock for tc_lock around tc_count changes. There was missing lock around tc_count increment inside smb2_find_smb_sess_tcon_unlocked().
CVE-2026-53399CVSS 9.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: nfsd: release layout stid on setlease failure nfs4_alloc_stid() publishes the new stid into cl->cl_stateids via idr_alloc_cyclic() under cl_lock before returning to nfsd4_alloc_layout_stateid(). When nfsd4_layout_setlease() then fails, the error path frees the layout stateid directly with kmem_cache_free() without ever calling idr_remove(), leaving the IDR slot pointing at freed slab memory. Any subsequent IDR walker (states_show, client teardown) dereferences the dangling pointer. The correct teardown for an IDR-published stid is nfs4_put_stid(), which removes the IDR slot under cl_lock, dispatches sc_free (nfsd4_free_layout_stateid) to release ls->ls_file via nfsd4_close_layout(), and drops the nfs4_file reference in its tail. A second issue blocks that switch: nfsd4_free_layout_stateid() unconditionally inspects ls->ls_fence_work via delayed_work_pending() under ls_lock, but INIT_DELAYED_WORK(&ls->ls_fence_work, ...) currently runs only after the setlease call. On the setlease-failure path the destructor would touch an uninitialized delayed_work. nfsd4_alloc_layout_stateid() nfs4_alloc_stid() /* idr_alloc_cyclic under cl_lock */ nfsd4_layout_setlease() /* fails */ nfs4_put_stid() nfsd4_free_layout_stateid() delayed_work_pending(&ls->ls_fence_work) /* needs INIT */ nfsd4_close_layout() /* nfsd_file_put(ls->ls_file) */ put_nfs4_file() Fix by hoisting the ls_fenced / ls_fence_delay / INIT_DELAYED_WORK initialization above the nfsd4_layout_setlease() call, and replace the manual nfsd_file_put + put_nfs4_file + kmem_cache_free cleanup with a single nfs4_put_stid(stp).

References

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