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

slip: fix use-after-free in sl_sync()

slip_devs[] stores bare net_device pointers and takes no reference on
them. sl_sync() and sl_alloc() walk that table from slip_open() under
rtnl_lock(), while an entry is dropped by sl_free_netdev(), which
sl_setup() installs as dev->priv_destructor.

priv_destructor is called from netdev_run_todo(), which deliberately
runs with the RTNL semaphore released so that it can sleep while waiting
for the device refcount to drop:

/* Snapshot list, allow later requests */
list_replace_init(&net_todo_list, &list);

__rtnl_unlock();
...
if (dev->priv_destructor)
dev->priv_destructor(dev); /* slip_devs[i] = NULL */
if (dev->needs_free_netdev)
free_netdev(dev);
...
/* Free network device */
kobject_put(&dev->dev.kobj);

So rtnl_lock() does not serialise slip_open() against the teardown at
all. sl_sync() can load slip_devs[i] while the entry is still published
and dereference it after netdev_run_todo() has run the destructor and
released the device:

CPU0 (slip_open) CPU1 (slip_close)
unregister_netdev()
rtnl_unlock()
netdev_run_todo()
__rtnl_unlock()
rtnl_lock()
sl_sync()
dev = slip_devs[i]
priv_destructor(dev)
slip_devs[i] = NULL
kobject_put(&dev->dev.kobj)
/* dev is freed */
sl = netdev_priv(dev)
if (sl->tty || sl->leased) /* use-after-free */

BUG: KASAN: use-after-free in sl_sync drivers/net/slip/slip.c:730 [inline]
BUG: KASAN: use-after-free in slip_open+0xef4/0x1210 drivers/net/slip/slip.c:806
Read of size 1 at addr ffff8880712dac71 by task syz-executor.2/6506

CPU: 2 PID: 6506 Comm: syz-executor.2 Not tainted 6.1.134-syzkaller-00260-g0c8fc3469765 #0
Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS 1.12.0-1 04/01/2014
Call Trace:
sl_sync drivers/net/slip/slip.c:730 [inline]
slip_open+0xef4/0x1210 drivers/net/slip/slip.c:806
tty_ldisc_open+0xa2/0x120 drivers/tty/tty_ldisc.c:433
tty_set_ldisc+0x324/0x720 drivers/tty/tty_ldisc.c:564
tiocsetd drivers/tty/tty_io.c:2428 [inline]
tty_ioctl+0x5f0/0x1530 drivers/tty/tty_io.c:2712

Allocated by task 6502:
alloc_netdev_mqs+0x98/0xfe0 net/core/dev.c:10719
sl_alloc drivers/net/slip/slip.c:756 [inline]
slip_open+0x36d/0x1210 drivers/net/slip/slip.c:817
tty_ldisc_open+0xa2/0x120 drivers/tty/tty_ldisc.c:433
tty_set_ldisc+0x324/0x720 drivers/tty/tty_ldisc.c:564

Freed by task 6497:
device_release+0xa2/0x240 drivers/base/core.c:2507
kobject_put+0x179/0x280 lib/kobject.c:729
netdev_run_todo+0x6c8/0xef0 net/core/dev.c:10509
slip_close+0x166/0x1c0 drivers/net/slip/slip.c:906
tty_ldisc_close+0x113/0x1a0 drivers/tty/tty_ldisc.c:456
tty_ldisc_kill+0x94/0x160 drivers/tty/tty_ldisc.c:614
tty_ldisc_release+0xe3/0x2b0 drivers/tty/tty_ldisc.c:782
tty_release+0xbcc/0xe70 drivers/tty/tty_io.c:1860

Commit e58c19124189 ("slip: Fix use-after-free Read in slip_open") fixed
a different source of stale entries - a device left in slip_devs[] after
slip_open() freed it on the registration error path - and does not
address this race, which is why the report survives it.

Drop the entry from ndo_uninit instead. unregister_netdevice() calls
ndo_uninit under RTNL, before the device is queued to netdev_run_todo(),
so an entry that sl_sync() can still see while holding RTNL belongs to a
device that cannot be freed until RTNL is dropped. sl_free_netdev()
stays only for the slip_open() error path, where register_netdevice()
may have failed before ndo_init and ndo_uninit is then not called
either. Both running for the same device is harmless: the
---truncated---
Published: 2026-09-11
Score: 4.7 Medium
EPSS: n/a
KEV: No
Impact: n/a
Action: n/a
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History

Sat, 12 Sep 2026 00:15:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-825
References
Metrics threat_severity

None

 cvssV3_1

{'score': 4.7, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'}

threat_severity

Important

Fri, 11 Sep 2026 23:45:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: slip: fix use-after-free in sl_sync() slip_devs[] stores bare net_device pointers and takes no reference on them. sl_sync() and sl_alloc() walk that table from slip_open() under rtnl_lock(), while an entry is dropped by sl_free_netdev(), which sl_setup() installs as dev->priv_destructor. priv_destructor is called from netdev_run_todo(), which deliberately runs with the RTNL semaphore released so that it can sleep while waiting for the device refcount to drop: /* Snapshot list, allow later requests */ list_replace_init(&net_todo_list, &list); __rtnl_unlock(); ... if (dev->priv_destructor) dev->priv_destructor(dev); /* slip_devs[i] = NULL */ if (dev->needs_free_netdev) free_netdev(dev); ... /* Free network device */ kobject_put(&dev->dev.kobj); So rtnl_lock() does not serialise slip_open() against the teardown at all. sl_sync() can load slip_devs[i] while the entry is still published and dereference it after netdev_run_todo() has run the destructor and released the device: CPU0 (slip_open) CPU1 (slip_close) unregister_netdev() rtnl_unlock() netdev_run_todo() __rtnl_unlock() rtnl_lock() sl_sync() dev = slip_devs[i] priv_destructor(dev) slip_devs[i] = NULL kobject_put(&dev->dev.kobj) /* dev is freed */ sl = netdev_priv(dev) if (sl->tty || sl->leased) /* use-after-free */ BUG: KASAN: use-after-free in sl_sync drivers/net/slip/slip.c:730 [inline] BUG: KASAN: use-after-free in slip_open+0xef4/0x1210 drivers/net/slip/slip.c:806 Read of size 1 at addr ffff8880712dac71 by task syz-executor.2/6506 CPU: 2 PID: 6506 Comm: syz-executor.2 Not tainted 6.1.134-syzkaller-00260-g0c8fc3469765 #0 Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS 1.12.0-1 04/01/2014 Call Trace: sl_sync drivers/net/slip/slip.c:730 [inline] slip_open+0xef4/0x1210 drivers/net/slip/slip.c:806 tty_ldisc_open+0xa2/0x120 drivers/tty/tty_ldisc.c:433 tty_set_ldisc+0x324/0x720 drivers/tty/tty_ldisc.c:564 tiocsetd drivers/tty/tty_io.c:2428 [inline] tty_ioctl+0x5f0/0x1530 drivers/tty/tty_io.c:2712 Allocated by task 6502: alloc_netdev_mqs+0x98/0xfe0 net/core/dev.c:10719 sl_alloc drivers/net/slip/slip.c:756 [inline] slip_open+0x36d/0x1210 drivers/net/slip/slip.c:817 tty_ldisc_open+0xa2/0x120 drivers/tty/tty_ldisc.c:433 tty_set_ldisc+0x324/0x720 drivers/tty/tty_ldisc.c:564 Freed by task 6497: device_release+0xa2/0x240 drivers/base/core.c:2507 kobject_put+0x179/0x280 lib/kobject.c:729 netdev_run_todo+0x6c8/0xef0 net/core/dev.c:10509 slip_close+0x166/0x1c0 drivers/net/slip/slip.c:906 tty_ldisc_close+0x113/0x1a0 drivers/tty/tty_ldisc.c:456 tty_ldisc_kill+0x94/0x160 drivers/tty/tty_ldisc.c:614 tty_ldisc_release+0xe3/0x2b0 drivers/tty/tty_ldisc.c:782 tty_release+0xbcc/0xe70 drivers/tty/tty_io.c:1860 Commit e58c19124189 ("slip: Fix use-after-free Read in slip_open") fixed a different source of stale entries - a device left in slip_devs[] after slip_open() freed it on the registration error path - and does not address this race, which is why the report survives it. Drop the entry from ndo_uninit instead. unregister_netdevice() calls ndo_uninit under RTNL, before the device is queued to netdev_run_todo(), so an entry that sl_sync() can still see while holding RTNL belongs to a device that cannot be freed until RTNL is dropped. sl_free_netdev() stays only for the slip_open() error path, where register_netdevice() may have failed before ndo_init and ndo_uninit is then not called either. Both running for the same device is harmless: the ---truncated---
Title slip: fix use-after-free in sl_sync()
First Time appeared Linux
Linux linux Kernel
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Linux
Linux linux Kernel
References

Subscriptions

Linux Linux Kernel
cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: Linux

Published:

Updated: 2026-09-11T19:42:54.846Z

Reserved: 2026-08-26T14:34:25.812Z

Link: CVE-2026-81001

cve-icon Vulnrichment

No data.

cve-icon NVD

Status : Received

Published: 2026-09-11T20:19:08.160

Modified: 2026-09-11T20:19:08.160

Link: CVE-2026-81001

cve-icon Redhat

Severity : Important

Publid Date: 2026-09-11T19:42:54Z

Links: CVE-2026-81001 - Bugzilla

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

Updated: 2026-09-12T03:15:06Z

Weaknesses
  • CWE-825

    Expired Pointer Dereference