Use After Free Affecting linux-qemu-melange package, versions <6.18.38-r0


Severity

Recommended
low

Based on default assessment until relevant scores are available.

Threat Intelligence

EPSS
0.34% (27th percentile)

Do your applications use this vulnerable package?

In a few clicks we can analyze your entire application and see what components are vulnerable in your application, and suggest you quick fixes.

Test your applications
  • Snyk IDSNYK-CHAINGUARDLATEST-LINUXQEMUMELANGE-17949849
  • published11 Jul 2026
  • disclosed25 Jun 2026

Introduced: 25 Jun 2026

NewCVE-2026-53175  (opens in a new tab)
CWE-416  (opens in a new tab)

How to fix?

Upgrade Chainguard linux-qemu-melange to version 6.18.38-r0 or higher.

NVD Description

Note: Versions mentioned in the description apply only to the upstream linux-qemu-melange package and not the linux-qemu-melange package as distributed by Chainguard. See How to fix? for Chainguard relevant fixed versions and status.

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

inet: frags: fix use-after-free caused by the fqdir_pre_exit() flush

On netns teardown, fqdir_pre_exit() walks the fqdir rhashtable and flushes every fragment queue that is not yet complete using inet_frag_queue_flush(). That helper frees all the skbs queued on the fragment queue but does not set INET_FRAG_COMPLETE, and leaves q->fragments_tail and q->last_run_head pointing at the freed skbs. The queue itself stays in the rhashtable.

fqdir_pre_exit() first lowers high_thresh to 0 to stop new queue lookups, but it cannot stop a fragment that already obtained the queue through inet_frag_find() earlier and stalled just before taking the queue lock. Once that fragment resumes after the flush and takes the queue lock, it passes the INET_FRAG_COMPLETE check and then dereferences the freed fragments_tail. inet_frag_queue_insert() reads FRAG_CB() and ->len of that pointer and, on the append path, writes ->next_frag, causing a slab use-after-free. IPv6, nf_conntrack_reasm6 and 6lowpan reassembly share the same flush path and are affected as well.

Reset rb_fragments, fragments_tail and last_run_head in inet_frag_queue_flush() so a flushed queue no longer points at the freed skbs. A fragment that resumes after the flush and takes the queue lock then finds an empty queue and starts a new run instead of dereferencing the freed fragments_tail. ip_frag_reinit() already performed this reset after its own flush, so drop the now duplicate code there.

CVSS Base Scores

version 3.1