CVE-2026-71968 in OP-TEE
Summary
by MITRE • 08/10/2026
OP-TEE OS through 4.10.0, fixed in commit 8794043, contains a use-after-free vulnerability in the Trusted Application loader that allows attackers with the ability to load a signed Trusted Application to corrupt secure-world kernel memory by setting the TA_FLAG_CONCURRENT flag in a user TA signed header. Attackers can cause two concurrent sessions to operate on the same shared context without locking, corrupting the uctx->vm_info.regions list during memref parameter mapping and unmapping to free vm_region nodes still in use, resulting in a use-after-free in S-EL1 secure-world kernel memory.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/10/2026
The vulnerability under examination represents a critical use-after-free condition within OP-TEE OS version 4.10.0 and earlier, which has been addressed in commit 8794043. This flaw exists within the Trusted Application loader component, specifically affecting the management of concurrent session handling for trusted applications. The issue arises when attackers possess the capability to load signed Trusted Applications, enabling them to exploit a fundamental race condition in memory management operations.
The technical root cause stems from insufficient synchronization mechanisms during concurrent session processing within the secure world kernel environment. When a user Trusted Application is loaded with the TA_FLAG_CONCURRENT flag set in its signed header, the system fails to properly lock shared contexts between multiple concurrent sessions. This concurrency flaw permits simultaneous access to the same memory structures without proper mutual exclusion, creating a window where memory corruption can occur. The vulnerable code path involves the manipulation of uctx->vm_info.regions list during memref parameter mapping and unmapping operations, which are critical for memory management in the secure execution environment.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple memory corruption to potentially compromise the integrity of the entire secure world kernel memory space. Attackers exploiting this use-after-free condition can manipulate S-EL1 secure-world kernel memory through carefully crafted concurrent session scenarios, leading to potential privilege escalation and complete system compromise. The vulnerability specifically targets the vm_region node management within the virtual memory subsystem, where freed memory structures are accessed after being deallocated, creating opportunities for arbitrary code execution or denial of service conditions.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-416, which classifies use-after-free errors as a fundamental memory safety issue in software development. The attack vector demonstrates characteristics consistent with the ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Windows and similar privilege escalation patterns, where attackers leverage kernel-level memory corruption to gain elevated privileges. The flaw represents a classic concurrency vulnerability that has been extensively documented in security literature as one of the most dangerous categories of memory safety issues due to its potential for remote code execution.
The mitigation strategy requires implementing proper locking mechanisms around shared context operations during concurrent session handling, ensuring that vm_region nodes are not freed while still being referenced by active sessions. System administrators should immediately upgrade to OP-TEE OS version 4.10.1 or later where the vulnerability has been patched through commit 8794043. Additionally, security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual patterns in Trusted Application loading with concurrent flags, as this represents an attack signature that can be used for early detection of exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing runtime protections and memory integrity checks to detect and prevent exploitation of similar concurrency-based vulnerabilities in other secure execution environments.