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CVE-2026-52982

net: usb: rtl8150: fix use-after-free in rtl8150_start_xmit()

9.8 EPSS 0.5% AV:N

Published 2026-06-24 (4 months ago) by the Linux kernel CNA. Subsystem drivers/net. Debian urgency: not yet assigned.

What to do, per Debian release

Debian's own status for CVE-2026-52982 in every release this site tracks, and what each one means in practice. Every status below is the one the Debian Security Team publishes for this CVE. source

ReleaseStatus VersionWhat this means
Debian 12bookwormfixedDLA-4665-1 · 2026-07-03 · text6.1.176-1Update the kernel and reboot. DLA-4665-1 shipped the fix on 2026-07-03, in 6.1.176-1. A running kernel keeps the old code until the machine restarts.
Debian 13trixiefixed6.12.94-1Update the kernel and reboot. Fixed in 6.12.94-1. A running kernel keeps the old code until the machine restarts.
Debian 14forkyfixed7.0.10-1Update the kernel and reboot. Fixed in 7.0.10-1. A running kernel keeps the old code until the machine restarts.
Debian unstablesidfixed7.0.10-1Update the kernel and reboot. Fixed in 7.0.10-1. A running kernel keeps the old code until the machine restarts.

The vulnerability

What the bug is

syzbot reported a KASAN slab-use-after-free read in rtl8150_start_xmit() when accessing skb->len for tx statistics after usb_submit_urb() has been called: BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in rtl8150_start_xmit+0x71f/0x760 drivers/net/usb/rtl8150.c:712 Read of size 4 at addr ffff88810eb7a930 by task kworker/0:4/5226 The URB completion handler write_bulk_callback() frees the skb via dev_kfree_skb_irq(dev->tx_skb). The URB may complete on another CPU in softirq context before usb_submit_urb() returns in the submitter, so by the time the submitter reads skb->len the skb has already been queued to the per-CPU completion_queue and freed by net_tx_action(): CPU A (xmit) CPU B (USB completion softirq) ------------ ------------------------------ dev->tx_skb = skb; usb_submit_urb() --+ |-------> write_bulk_callback() | dev_kfree_skb_irq(dev->tx_skb) | net_tx_action() | napi_skb_cache_put() <-- free netdev->stats.tx_bytes | += skb->len; <-- UAF read Fix it by caching skb->len before submitting the URB and using the cached value when updating the tx_bytes counter. The pre-existing tx_bytes semantics are preserved: the counter tracks the original frame length (skb->len), not the ETH_ZLEN/USB-alignment padded "count" value that is handed to the device. Changing that would be a user-visible accounting change and is out of scope for this UAF fix.

Where it lives

The fix touches these files. If the subsystem is one you do not use, the practical exposure is lower, though the package is still the vulnerable one.

drivers/net/usb/rtl8150.c

What this is
USB RTL8150 DRIVERMAINTAINERS section matched on drivers/net/usb/rtl8150.c · linux-usb@vger.kernel.org · Maintained
Kernel module
rtl8150

Check it on the machine

grep -wE 'CONFIG_USB_NET_DRIVERS|CONFIG_USB_RTL8150' /boot/config-$(uname -r)

Reads the booted kernel's own configuration, on the machine and nowhere else. =y is built in, =m is a module, and an is not set line means the code is not there.

lsmod | grep -w rtl8150

Prints a line if that module is loaded right now, and nothing if it is not. One that is not loaded can still be loaded later by anything that needs it.

Show whether Debian builds this, per release

Debian builds this, but not on every flavour. At least one release below builds the code on some of its kernel flavours and not on others, so the answer depends on the architecture and flavour installed.

  • bookworm, trixie, forky, sidMnot built on amd64/cloud-amd64, arm64/cloud-arm64
M
a module where it is built at all; some flavours do not build it
Build switches
CONFIG_USB_NET_DRIVERS, CONFIG_USB_RTL8150
Reads as
all on means the file is compiled; any one off means it is not.

From the configuration Debian publishes for every kernel flavour it builds. It covers only the architectures Debian ships a linux-config package for, and nothing about a kernel you built yourself. Debian's own status above stays authoritative about the source package.MAINTAINERS kbuild Makefiles Debian linux-config packages

Signals

Published
2026-06-24 (4 months ago)source
CVSS
9.8 critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:Hsource recompute it
Attack vector
network (AV:N)source
EPSS
0.54%, higher than 44.0% of all CVEssource
CISA KEV
not listedthe KEV catalogue
Debian urgency
not yet assignedsource
Subsystem
drivers/net

Upstream fixes

The versions the CNA records as introducing and fixing this, and the commit for each. source

IntroducedFixed inCommit
2.6.125.10.2585af290c86fa8
2.6.125.15.20924831b0b2ada
2.6.126.1.175423b5b86e14e
2.6.126.6.1415db090ca07b2
2.6.126.12.9130cf9829d09c
2.6.126.18.336999d70e0eda
2.6.127.0.104dd7eb94f794
2.6.127.123f0e34c64ac

Debian advisories

AdvisoryDateShipped toDebian
DLA-4671-12026-07-05bullseye 6.1.176-1~deb11u1tracker
DLA-4665-12026-07-03bookworm 6.1.176-1tracker
DLA-4664-12026-07-03bullseye 5.10.259-1tracker

Why the CNA scored it this way

Quoted from the kernel CNA's own scoring file, word for word. A highlighted metric carries the most severe value CVSS v3.1 defines for it, which is what pushes the score up. source

AV:NAttack vector, network
A remote peer can cause the host to transmit packets through an affected rtl8150 interface via normal network responses such as ICMP replies or TCP resets/ACKs, reaching rtl8150_start_xmit(). Choosing the higher-severity defensible path, this is network-reachable.
AC:LAttack complexity, low
The transmit path is repeatable and has no unusual prerequisite beyond traffic through the affected interface; the UAF is a normal asynchronous URB completion lifetime bug. Under the required guidance, UAF/race uncertainty is scored low complexity unless clearly beyond attacker influence.
PR:NPrivileges required, none
Network-triggered host replies require no local account or authentication. Even the local sendto() path has no driver privilege check, but the network path supports PR:N.
UI:NUser interaction, none
No victim action is needed once the affected interface is present and configured. Packets or induced replies can repeatedly drive the transmit path.
S:UScope, unchanged
The corruption occurs within the kernel networking/USB driver security authority. There is no VM escape, IOMMU bypass, or cross-scope boundary identified.
C:HConfidentiality impact, high
This is a slab use-after-free on an skb after the completion path can free it. Per the required kernel guidance, UAFs are scored as high confidentiality impact because freed object reuse can enable information disclosure.
I:HIntegrity impact, high
Use-after-free memory lifetime bugs can be shaped through heap reuse and may provide write/control-flow primitives. Per the required guidance, UAFs are high integrity impact.
A:HAvailability impact, high
The reported bug is a KASAN slab-use-after-free in kernel transmit code and can crash or destabilize the kernel when triggered repeatedly. Per the required guidance, UAFs have high availability impact.