CVE-2026-31396

What it is

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: macb: fix use-after-free access to PTP clock PTP clock is registered on every opening of the interface and destroyed on every closing. However it may be accessed via get_ts_info ethtool call which is possible while the interface is just present in the kernel. BUG: KASAN: use-after-free in ptp_clock_index+0x47/0x50 drivers/ptp/ptp_clock.c:426 Read of size 4 at addr ffff8880194345cc by task syz.0.6/948 CPU: 1 PID: 948 Comm: syz.0.6 Not tainted 6.1.164+ #109 Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (Q35 + ICH9, 2009), BIOS rel-1.16.1-0-g3208b098f51a-prebuilt.qemu.org 04/01/2014 Call Trace: <TASK> __dump_stack lib/dump_stack.c:88 [inline] dump_stack_lvl+0x8d/0xba lib/dump_stack.c:106 print_address_description mm/kasan/report.c:316 [inline] print_report+0x17f/0x496 mm/kasan/report.c:420 kasan_report+0xd9/0x180 mm/kasan/report.c:524 ptp_clock_index+0x47/0x50 drivers/ptp/ptp_clock.c:426 gem_get_ts_info+0x138/0x1e0 drivers/net/ethernet/cadence/macb_main.c:3349 macb_get_ts_info+0x68/0xb0 drivers/net/ethernet/cadence/macb_main.c:3371 __ethtool_get_ts_info+0x17c/0x260 net/ethtool/common.c:558 ethtool_get_ts_info net/ethtool/ioctl.c:2367 [inline] __dev_ethtool net/ethtool/ioctl.c:3017 [inline] dev_ethtool+0x2b05/0x6290 net/ethtool/ioctl.c:3095 dev_ioctl+0x637/0x1070 net/core/dev_ioctl.c:510 sock_do_ioctl+0x20d/0x2c0 net/socket.c:1215 sock_ioctl+0x577/0x6d0 net/socket.c:1320 vfs_ioctl fs/ioctl.c:51 [inline] __do_sys_ioctl fs/ioctl.c:870 [inline] __se_sys_ioctl fs/ioctl.c:856 [inline] __x64_sys_ioctl+0x18c/0x210 fs/ioctl.c:856 do_syscall_x64 arch/x86/entry/common.c:46 [inline] do_syscall_64+0x35/0x80 arch/x86/entry/common.c:76 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x6e/0xd8 </TASK> Allocated by task 457: kmalloc include/linux/slab.h:563 [inline] kzalloc include/linux/slab.h:699 [inline] ptp_clock_register+0x144/0x10e0 drivers/ptp/ptp_clock.c:235 gem_ptp_init+0x46f/0x930 drivers/net/ethernet/cadence/macb_ptp.c:375 macb_open+0x901/0xd10 drivers/net/ethernet/cadence/macb_main.c:2920 __dev_open+0x2ce/0x500 net/core/dev.c:1501 __dev_change_flags+0x56a/0x740 net/core/dev.c:8651 dev_change_flags+0x92/0x170 net/core/dev.c:8722 do_setlink+0xaf8/0x3a80 net/core/rtnetlink.c:2833 __rtnl_newlink+0xbf4/0x1940 net/core/rtnetlink.c:3608 rtnl_newlink+0x63/0xa0 net/core/rtnetlink.c:3655 rtnetlink_rcv_msg+0x3c6/0xed0 net/core/rtnetlink.c:6150 netlink_rcv_skb+0x15d/0x430 net/netlink/af_netlink.c:2511 netlink_unicast_kernel net/netlink/af_netlink.c:1318 [inline] netlink_unicast+0x6d7/0xa30 net/netlink/af_netlink.c:1344 netlink_sendmsg+0x97e/0xeb0 net/netlink/af_netlink.c:1872 sock_sendmsg_nosec net/socket.c:718 [inline] __sock_sendmsg+0x14b/0x180 net/socket.c:730 __sys_sendto+0x320/0x3b0 net/socket.c:2152 __do_sys_sendto net/socket.c:2164 [inline] __se_sys_sendto net/socket.c:2160 [inline] __x64_sys_sendto+0xdc/0x1b0 net/socket.c:2160 do_syscall_x64 arch/x86/entry/common.c:46 [inline] do_syscall_64+0x35/0x80 arch/x86/entry/common.c:76 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x6e/0xd8 Freed by task 938: kasan_slab_free include/linux/kasan.h:177 [inline] slab_free_hook mm/slub.c:1729 [inline] slab_free_freelist_hook mm/slub.c:1755 [inline] slab_free mm/slub.c:3687 [inline] __kmem_cache_free+0xbc/0x320 mm/slub.c:3700 device_release+0xa0/0x240 drivers/base/core.c:2507 kobject_cleanup lib/kobject.c:681 [inline] kobject_release lib/kobject.c:712 [inline] kref_put include/linux/kref.h:65 [inline] kobject_put+0x1cd/0x350 lib/kobject.c:729 put_device+0x1b/0x30 drivers/base/core.c:3805 ptp_clock_unregister+0x171/0x270 drivers/ptp/ptp_clock.c:391 gem_ptp_remove+0x4e/0x1f0 drivers/net/ethernet/cadence/macb_ptp.c:404 macb_close+0x1c8/0x270 drivers/net/ethernet/cadence/macb_main.c:2966 __dev_close_many+0x1b9/0x310 net/core/dev.c:1585 __dev_close net/core/dev.c:1597 [inline] __dev_change_flags+0x2bb/0x740 net/core/dev.c:8649 dev_change_fl ---truncated---

At a glance

Exploitability

Can be exploited locally on the machine with a low-privilege account. High risk of data exposure, data tampering, service disruption.

Exploit odds

0.1% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days (EPSS).

Fix

A patch, advisory or fixed version is referenced. Upgrade or apply it.

Timeline

1. 2026-04-03 16:16 UTC PublishedDisclosed publicly on CVE.org and NVD
2. 2026-10-15 02:19 UTC Last updatedMost recent change to the record

Why it ranks here

• Exploited in the wild: no, CISA does not list it.
• Exploit odds: 0.1% in the next 30 days (EPSS).
• Severity: 7.8 HIGH (CVSS).
• Fix: a patch or advisory is linked.

Details

Published

2026-04-03 16:16 UTC

Last modified

2026-10-15 02:19 UTC

Exploit probability

0.1% · EPSS, next 30 days

Weakness

CWE-416 · Use after free

Record status

Modified

Affected

• Linux Kernel < 5.10.253
• Linux Kernel < 5.15.203
• Linux Kernel < 6.1.167
• Linux Kernel < 6.6.130
• Linux Kernel < 6.12.78
• Linux Kernel < 6.18.20
• Linux Kernel < 6.19.10
• Linux Kernel 7.0

Attack profile CVSS 3.1 · 7.8

Attack vector

Local

Complexity

Low

Privileges needed

Low

User interaction

None

Scope

Unchanged

Confidentiality

High

Integrity

High

Availability

High

Is it in your code?

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