Linux Kernel up to 6.12.112/6.18.55/7.2.9/7.3-rc5 serial 8250_bcm7271 brcmuart_remove use after free

| CVSS Meta Temp Score | Current Exploit Price (≈) | CTI Interest Score |
|---|---|---|
| 9.5 | $5k-$25k | 1.37- |
Summary
A vulnerability marked as very critical has been reported in Linux Kernel up to 6.12.112/6.18.55/7.2.9/7.3-rc5. The affected element is the function brcmuart_remove of the component serial 8250_bcm7271. This manipulation causes use after free.
The identification of this vulnerability is CVE-2026-98748. It is possible to initiate the attack remotely. There is no exploit available.
It is suggested to upgrade the affected component.
Details
A vulnerability was found in Linux Kernel up to 6.12.112/6.18.55/7.2.9/7.3-rc5. It has been declared as very critical. Affected by this vulnerability is the function brcmuart_remove of the component serial 8250_bcm7271. 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: serial: 8250_bcm7271: fix use-after-free in brcmuart_remove() brcmuart_handle_irq() starts priv->hrt to work around a receive-timeout quirk of the 8250 core when hardware flow control is enabled; the timer callback brcmuart_hrtimer_func() dereferences priv. brcmuart_remove() cancels the hrtimer before it unregisters the port, so a receive-timeout interrupt that arrives in between re-arms the timer. After devm frees priv, the callback runs on freed memory. Unregister the port before cancelling the hrtimer. serial8250_unregister_port() shuts the port down and frees its IRQ, so brcmuart_handle_irq() can no longer restart the timer, and the final hrtimer_cancel() drains any timer that was armed before or during the unregister. This issue was found by an in-house static analysis tool.
It is possible to read the advisory at git.kernel.org. This vulnerability is known as CVE-2026-98748 since 09/25/2026. The exploitation appears to be easy. The attack can be launched remotely. The exploitation doesn't need any form of authentication. Technical details of the vulnerability are known, but there is no available exploit. The pricing for an exploit might be around USD $5k-$25k at the moment (estimation calculated on 10/18/2026).
Upgrading to version 6.12.113, 6.18.56, 7.2.10 or 7.3-rc6 eliminates this vulnerability. Applying the patch f5ce06e648d775cc1ccf66f4f594bb8b559a7d8e/e32440fa536af96bdbc61d933a7c3a920b965edc/0794ba5332754866b2f1c0cca668775be3ffcf0a/189b9dc8c96ec9486482f27c1372b04a7152175e is able to eliminate this problem. The best possible mitigation is suggested to be upgrading to the latest version.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Product
Type
Vendor
Name
Version
- 6.12.112
- 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
- 6.18.40
- 6.18.41
- 6.18.42
- 6.18.43
- 6.18.44
- 6.18.45
- 6.18.46
- 6.18.47
- 6.18.48
- 6.18.49
- 6.18.50
- 6.18.51
- 6.18.52
- 6.18.53
- 6.18.54
- 6.18.55
- 7.2.0
- 7.2.1
- 7.2.2
- 7.2.3
- 7.2.4
- 7.2.5
- 7.2.6
- 7.2.7
- 7.2.8
- 7.2.9
- 7.3-rc1
- 7.3-rc2
- 7.3-rc3
- 7.3-rc4
- 7.3-rc5
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 💳 | 💳 | 💳 | 💳 | 💳 | 💳 |
| 💳 | 💳 | 💳 | 💳 | 💳 | 💳 |
| 💳 | 💳 | 💳 | 💳 | 💳 | 💳 |
| Vector | Complexity | Authentication | Confidentiality | Integrity | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock |
| Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock |
| Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Today | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock |
Threat Intelligence
Interest: 🔍Active Actors: 🔍
Active APT Groups: 🔍
Countermeasures
Recommended: UpgradeStatus: 🔍
0-Day Time: 🔒
Upgrade: Kernel 6.12.113/6.18.56/7.2.10/7.3-rc6
Patch: f5ce06e648d775cc1ccf66f4f594bb8b559a7d8e/e32440fa536af96bdbc61d933a7c3a920b965edc/0794ba5332754866b2f1c0cca668775be3ffcf0a/189b9dc8c96ec9486482f27c1372b04a7152175e
Timeline
09/25/2026 CVE reserved10/18/2026 Advisory disclosed
10/18/2026 VulDB entry created
10/18/2026 VulDB entry last update
Sources
Vendor: kernel.orgAdvisory: git.kernel.org
Status: Confirmed
CVE: CVE-2026-98748 (🔒)
GCVE (CVE): GCVE-0-2026-98748
GCVE (VulDB): GCVE-100-421999
Entry
Created: 10/18/2026 19:45Changes: 10/18/2026 19:45 (59)
Complete: 🔍
Cache ID: 216::103
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
No comments yet. Languages: en.
Please log in to comment.