CVE Intelligence
High

CVE-2026-74631 — net: smc: fix splice entry lifetime imbalance in smc_rx_splice

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: smc: fix splice entry lifetime imbalance in smc_rx_splice smc_rx_splice() passes pages to splice_to_pipe() before taking the references that cover the lifetime of each splice entry. In the VM-backed RMB path, splice_to_pipe() may drop unqueued entries through smc_rx_spd_release(), while queued entries are released later via the pipe buffer callback. The old post-splice accounting also derives the number of queued VM pages from an offset mutated while building the descriptor, and a multi-page splice pairs one sock_hold() with multiple sock_put() calls. Take the page and socket references for every candidate entry before splice_to_pipe(), and drop the matching private state, page reference, and socket reference from smc_rx_spd_release() for entries that never get queued. This fixes a refcount imbalance that can underflow page refcounts and trigger a use-after-free.

Published Aug 22, 2026 · Updated Oct 14, 2026 · Sources: NIST National Vulnerability Database, CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP, GitHub Security Advisories · CNA: Linux

Who exploits it and how urgent it is

A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.

No exploitation signal in the sources consulted so far.
How the score was calculated
  • EPSS 0.2% (30-day exploitation probability)+1
  • Technical severity (high)+6

The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).

Triage

Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.

Exploitation
Not confirmed
Not in CISA KEV — an absence of record, not proof it is unexploited.
EPSS FIRST
0.19%
ahead of 8% of scored CVEs · Oct 14, 2026
Affects
Linux
Linux
CVSS base
8.4
High · 3 source(s)

Remediation

Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.

No fix documented by the sources we poll. That does not mean none exists: check the vendor advisory.

First 24 hours

Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.

  1. Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Linux Linux).
  2. No fix documented in the sources: reduce exposure and monitor the vendor advisory.
  3. Search available logs for exploit probes, errors and authentication anomalies.

Affected scope

Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.

VendorProductVersionsStatusSource
Linux Linux ≥ 9014db202cb764b8e14c53e7bacc81f9a1a2ba7f and < 7ddc7af2ae7fc5a0c0635b245c0824c8b76de5cb≥ 9014db202cb764b8e14c53e7bacc81f9a1a2ba7f and < 07ad246529d136d5ef441d5ab4c305d132ff3090≥ 9014db202cb764b8e14c53e7bacc81f9a1a2ba7f and < c841789e456ec6751342fa800639ce8e82ff0e6b≥ 9014db202cb764b8e14c53e7bacc81f9a1a2ba7f and < af02c67ce654356c58db20a0bb2db33ace3b07a8≥ 9014db202cb764b8e14c53e7bacc81f9a1a2ba7f and < ca8342b5fc24c249fdb998468f6a168b457c67e5≥ 9014db202cb764b8e14c53e7bacc81f9a1a2ba7f and < 0b7d54cedea5cb158e21925ae0c6c2f5c87ed2a0≥ 9014db202cb764b8e14c53e7bacc81f9a1a2ba7f and < 4515c78f4d9fd577270f012efeb062ea58b3682d≥ 9014db202cb764b8e14c53e7bacc81f9a1a2ba7f and < 5d9686af2976741bbd79b150d1c9e60b81e7f12e
and 1 more version 4.18
Vulnerable CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP

Attack characteristics

The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.

Attack vector
Local
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

Every base score collected

Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.

ScoreVersionSeverityExpl.ImpactScored by
8.4 CVSS 3.1 High 2.5 5.9 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 via NIST National Vulnerability Database
8.4 CVSS 3.1 High — — GitHub, Inc. via GitHub Security Advisories
8.4 CVSS 3.1 High — — Linux via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H (score shown at the top: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67)

EPSS over time FIRST

Oct 13, 2026 → Oct 14, 2026 · 2 reading(s) · max 0.19%

Detection

Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.

  • Local/physical vector: focus on endpoint telemetry (EDR) from affected hosts.
endpoint telemetry (EDR)

Timeline

What happened to this CVE, newest first.

  • 2026
  • Affected products added · linux/linux
    Oct 14, 2026 · CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
  • Record published
    Oct 14, 2026
  • CVSS changed · 8.4
    Oct 14, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
  • Source status changed · → Received
    Oct 14, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
  • Record created in this database
    Oct 14, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
  • CVE published
    Aug 22, 2026 · Linux

Source activity

Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.

  • 1× References added · Oct 14, 2026 – Oct 14, 2026
  • 1× Official description updated · Oct 14, 2026 – Oct 14, 2026

References

10 on the record

Elsewhere on this site

Linux
every CVE for this vendor

Related CVEs (same products)

  • CVE-2026-99999 ipv4: validate checksum_start before completing checksum 10h
  • CVE-2026-98432 ipv4: free inet_opt and ireq_opt after an RCU grace period 10h
  • CVE-2026-98424 wifi: cfg80211: undo netns switch if renaming the wiphy fails 1d
  • CVE-2026-98425 wifi: mac80211: don't warn when an IBSS has no channel to scan 1d
  • CVE-2026-98426 wifi: mwifiex: fix IRQ leak using wrong index in MSI-X error path 1d
  • CVE-2026-98427 net/sched: codel: bound the dropping loop per dequeue call 1d

Not in any source we poll

Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.

  • No fixed version, patch or mitigation documented.
  • No CISA SSVC assessment.
  • No CWE classification.
  • No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
  • No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
  • No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.

Answered from this record

Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.

What should defenders know first?

CVE-2026-74631 is "net: smc: fix splice entry lifetime imbalance in smc_rx_splice", rated High. It affects Linux (Linux); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 8.4 describes technical severity. EPSS 0.19% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.

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