Vulnary
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Critical· 9.8official fix available

CVE-2026-52993

A critical bug in the Linux kernel’s TIPC networking code can cause a double-free error, potentially crashing the system or allowing an attacker to run arbitrary code. The flaw occurs when a packet is validated and reallocated, leading to the same memory being freed twice.

publishedJun 24, 2026
last modifiedAug 3, 2026
sourcesNVD
severity · cvss
9.8
critical · how bad it is
exploitation · epss
<1%
30th percentile · chance of exploitation in 30 days
(ai-assisted) A model wrote this summary from the official data, so double-check it against the source before you act on it. Read the official advisory →
auto-deletes from the system
counting…on Aug 23, 2026

An official fix is available, so this entry is kept for 30 days and then removed automatically.

01

Who is affected

All Linux kernel users running versions before the patch that fixes tipc_buf_append() – typically system administrators and end users of affected Linux distributions.

02

Real-world impact

An attacker could trigger the double-free by sending crafted TIPC packets, causing the kernel to crash or, in the worst case, execute malicious code with kernel privileges.

03

Why this severity

The CVSS score of 9.8 reflects that the vulnerability is exploitable over the network without authentication or user interaction, and it can compromise confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the entire system.

04

What to do about it

official fix available
recommended steps
  1. 01Update the Linux kernel to a version that includes the tipc_buf_append() fix.

NVD-referenced vendor advisory

05

Timeline

  1. Jun 24, 2026 · Jun 24, 2026
    Published
    Disclosed and added to the National Vulnerability Database.
  2. Jul 24, 2026 · 10d ago
    Official fix available
    A vendor patch or mitigation now exists — see the remediation steps above.
  3. Aug 3, 2026 · 13h ago
    Advisory updated
    The NVD record was last revised.
06

How it’s attacked

Attack vectorNetwork (remote)
Attack complexityLow
Privileges requiredNone
User interactionNone needed
ScopeUnchanged
Confidentiality impactHigh
Integrity impactHigh
Availability impactHigh
07

References & advisories

NVD advisory ↗Search advisories ↗
(ai-assisted) A model wrote this summary from the official data, so double-check it against the source before you act on it. Read the official advisory →