Linux Kernel up to 6.18.39/7.1.4 mt76 mt76_put_vif_phy_link use after free

| CVSS Meta Temp Score | Current Exploit Price (≈) | CTI Interest Score |
|---|---|---|
| 9.5 | $5k-$25k | 1.88+ |
Summary
A vulnerability marked as very critical has been reported in Linux Kernel up to 6.18.39/7.1.4. This impacts the function mt76_put_vif_phy_link of the component mt76. This manipulation causes use after free.
The identification of this vulnerability is CVE-2026-74325. It is possible to initiate the attack remotely. There is no exploit available.
Details
A vulnerability has been found in Linux Kernel up to 6.18.39/7.1.4 and classified as very critical. Affected by this vulnerability is the function mt76_put_vif_phy_link of the component mt76. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a use after free vulnerability. The CWE definition for the vulnerability is CWE-416. Referencing memory after it has been freed can cause a program to crash, use unexpected values, or execute code. As an impact it is known to affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The summary by CVE is:
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: mt76: use kfree_rcu for offchannel link in mt76_put_vif_phy_link mt76_put_vif_phy_link() frees the offchannel mlink with plain kfree() after rcu_assign_pointer(NULL). However, rcu_assign_pointer only prevents future RCU readers from obtaining the pointer -- it does not wait for existing readers that already hold it via rcu_dereference. The TX datapath (e.g. mt7996_mac_write_txwi) dereferences mlink->wcid and mlink->idx under rcu_read_lock. If a TX softirq obtained the pointer via rcu_dereference just before the NULL assignment, it will dereference freed memory after the kfree. struct mt76_vif_link already contains an rcu_head field that is unused at this free site -- a developer oversight, since the adjacent kfree_rcu_mightsleep call for rx_sc in the same function shows the pattern was understood. Replace kfree(mlink) with kfree_rcu(mlink, rcu_head).
The advisory is shared at git.kernel.org. This vulnerability is known as CVE-2026-74325 since 08/15/2026. The exploitation appears to be easy. The attack can be launched remotely. The exploitation doesn't need any form of authentication. Technical details are known, but no exploit is available. The price for an exploit might be around USD $5k-$25k at the moment (estimation calculated on 08/15/2026).
Upgrading to version 6.18.40, 7.1.5 or 7.2-rc1 eliminates this vulnerability. Applying the patch c7a83899203ed36696a2d35ddd03c0f522874a63/50e700ac0edce72dee5c3a9755865d9423696ac7/7fae097aa9a56c30febf539d72ef3773165d3aa3 is able to eliminate this problem.
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
Product
Type
Vendor
Name
Version
- 6.18.0
- 6.18.1
- 6.18.2
- 6.18.3
- 6.18.4
- 6.18.5
- 6.18.6
- 6.18.7
- 6.18.8
- 6.18.9
- 6.18.10
- 6.18.11
- 6.18.12
- 6.18.13
- 6.18.14
- 6.18.15
- 6.18.16
- 6.18.17
- 6.18.18
- 6.18.19
- 6.18.20
- 6.18.21
- 6.18.22
- 6.18.23
- 6.18.24
- 6.18.25
- 6.18.26
- 6.18.27
- 6.18.28
- 6.18.29
- 6.18.30
- 6.18.31
- 6.18.32
- 6.18.33
- 6.18.34
- 6.18.35
- 6.18.36
- 6.18.37
- 6.18.38
- 6.18.39
- 7.1.0
- 7.1.1
- 7.1.2
- 7.1.3
- 7.1.4
License
Website
- Vendor: https://www.kernel.org/
CPE 2.3
CPE 2.2
CVSSv4
VulDB Vector: 🔒VulDB Reliability: 🔍
CVSSv3
VulDB Meta Base Score: 10.0VulDB Meta Temp Score: 9.5
VulDB Base Score: 10.0
VulDB Temp Score: 9.5
VulDB Vector: 🔒
VulDB Reliability: 🔍
CVSSv2
| AV | AC | Au | C | I | A |
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| 💳 | 💳 | 💳 | 💳 | 💳 | 💳 |
| 💳 | 💳 | 💳 | 💳 | 💳 | 💳 |
| 💳 | 💳 | 💳 | 💳 | 💳 | 💳 |
| Vector | Complexity | Authentication | Confidentiality | Integrity | Availability |
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| Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock |
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VulDB Base Score: 🔒
VulDB Temp Score: 🔒
VulDB Reliability: 🔍
Exploiting
Class: Use after freeCWE: CWE-416 / CWE-119
CAPEC: 🔒
ATT&CK: 🔒
Physical: No
Local: No
Remote: Yes
Availability: 🔒
Status: Not defined
Price Prediction: 🔍
Current Price Estimation: 🔒
| 0-Day | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock |
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| Today | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock |
Threat Intelligence
Interest: 🔍Active Actors: 🔍
Active APT Groups: 🔍
Countermeasures
Recommended: UpgradeStatus: 🔍
0-Day Time: 🔒
Upgrade: Kernel 6.18.40/7.1.5/7.2-rc1
Patch: c7a83899203ed36696a2d35ddd03c0f522874a63/50e700ac0edce72dee5c3a9755865d9423696ac7/7fae097aa9a56c30febf539d72ef3773165d3aa3
Timeline
08/15/2026 Advisory disclosed08/15/2026 CVE reserved
08/15/2026 VulDB entry created
08/15/2026 VulDB entry last update
Sources
Vendor: kernel.orgAdvisory: git.kernel.org
Status: Confirmed
CVE: CVE-2026-74325 (🔒)
GCVE (CVE): GCVE-0-2026-74325
GCVE (VulDB): GCVE-100-390289
Entry
Created: 08/15/2026 09:31Changes: 08/15/2026 09:31 (59)
Complete: 🔍
Cache ID: 216::103
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
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