How severe is CVE-2026-74512?

No CVSS score has been assigned to CVE-2026-74512 yet. Review the advisory details and affected package list to assess your exposure.

Which packages are affected by CVE-2026-74512?

CVE-2026-74512 affects the following packages: Kernel (Linux). Ecosystems affected: Linux.

How do I fix CVE-2026-74512?

Update Kernel to 6.6.151 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2026-74512 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.

How do I detect CVE-2026-74512 in my Linux dependencies?

Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for Kernel. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.

How do I mitigate CVE-2026-74512 if there is no patch (or I can't update yet)?

If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.

How does O3 Security protect against CVE-2026-74512?

O3 pinpoints whether CVE-2026-74512 is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.

Is CVE-2026-74512 actively exploited in the wild?

No public exploit code has been indexed for CVE-2026-74512 yet. This does not mean the vulnerability cannot be exploited — absence of public exploits does not imply safety. Apply the recommended fix and use O3 Security to monitor your exposure.

When was CVE-2026-74512 published, and has it been updated?

CVE-2026-74512 was published on August 15, 2026 and was last updated on August 17, 2026. Advisory data evolves as severity scores, affected ranges, and exploit intelligence are revised — always check the latest version of the advisory before acting.

🐧 Linux

Not in CISA KEV

CVE-2026-74512

CVE-2026-74512 is a security vulnerability in Kernel. O3 Security confirms whether CVE-2026-74512 is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.

audit: fix potential use-after-free in audit_del_rule()

Published

Aug 15, 2026

Updated

Aug 17, 2026

Affected

1 pkg

Patched

1 / 1

Exploits

None indexed

Exploitation data as of Aug 17, 2026 · OSV.dev, NVD, FIRST.org (EPSS)

Real-World Exposure

1 pkg affected

🐧Kernel

Real-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Linux packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.

Description

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

audit: fix potential use-after-free in audit_del_rule()

audit_del_rule() destroys e->rule.exe via audit_remove_mark_rule() before unlinking the rule from RCU-visible filter lists and waiting for a grace period. Concurrent readers in audit_filter() and audit_filter_rules() still dereference e->rule.exe, while the fsnotify mark can be freed on an independent lifetime path. This creates a use-after-free window during rule deletion.

Fix this by unlinking the rule from the RCU-visible lists and invoking synchronize_rcu() before calling audit_remove_mark_rule() (and other rule removal helpers). This ensures that all existing RCU readers have exited the critical section before any underlying resources are destroyed.

Affected Packages

1 total 1 fixed

Ecosystem	Package	Vulnerable range	Fix
🐧Linux	`Kernel`	≥ 4.3.0&&< 6.6.151	6.6.151

Detection & mitigation playbook

Open-source dependency

Detect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for Kernel. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.
Fix
Update Kernel to 6.6.151 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2026-74512 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 pinpoints whether CVE-2026-74512 is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.

Tailored to CVE-2026-74512. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.

Frequently Asked Questions

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: audit: fix potential use-after-free in audit_del_rule() `audit_del_rule()` destroys `e->rule.exe` via `audit_remove_mark_rule()` before unlinking the rule from RCU-visible filter lists and waiting for a grace period. Concurrent readers in `audit_filter()` and `audit_filter_rules()` still dereference `e->rule.exe`, while the fsnotify mark can be freed on an independent lifetime path. This creates a use-after-free window during rule deletion. Fix this by unlinking the rule from the RCU-visible lists and invoking `synchronize_

O3 Security · Impact-Aware SCA

Is CVE-2026-74512 in your dependencies?

O3 detects CVE-2026-74512 across Linux dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.

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