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CVE-2026-52923

HIGH 7.8

Published 2026-06-24 · Last modified 2026-07-15

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ipc: limit next_id allocation to the valid ID range The checkpoint/restore sysctl path can request the next SysV IPC id through ids->next_id. ipc_idr_alloc() currently forwards that request to idr_alloc() with an open-ended upper bound. If the valid tail of the SysV IPC id space is full, the allocation can spill beyond ipc_mni. The returned SysV IPC id still uses the normal index encoding, so later lookup and removal can target the wrong slot. This leaves the real IDR entry behind and breaks the IDR state for the object. The bug is in ipc_idr_alloc() in the checkpoint/restore path. 1. ids->next_id is passed to: idr_alloc(&ids->ipcs_idr, new, ipcid_to_idx(next_id), 0, ...) 2. The zero upper bound makes the allocation effectively open-ended. Once the valid SysV IPC tail is occupied, idr_alloc() can spill past ipc_mni and allocate an entry beyond the valid IPC id range. 3. The new object id is still encoded with the narrower SysV IPC index width: new->id = (new->seq << ipcmni_seq_shift()) + idx 4. Later removal goes through ipc_rmid(), which uses: ipcid_to_idx(ipcp->id) That truncates the real IDR index. An object actually stored at a high index can then be removed as if it lived at a low in-range index. 5. For shared memory, shm_destroy() frees the current object anyway, but the real high IDR slot is left behind as a dangling pointer. 6. A subsequent walk of /proc/sysvipc/shm reaches the stale IDR entry and dereferences freed memory. Prevent this by bounding the requested allocation to ipc_mni so the checkpoint/restore path fails once the valid range is exhausted.

ELEVATED IMPACT

Severe if exploited (CVSS 7.8), but no known exploitation and low modeled probability. Patch on a normal cadence.

Exploitation likelihood

0.1%chance of exploitation in 30 days · 3rd percentile

○ In CISA KEV ○ Public exploit / PoC

Impact if exploited

7.8CVSS 3.1 · HIGH

  • ConfidentialityHigh
  • IntegrityHigh
  • AvailabilityHigh

What an attacker needs

  • Access: Requires local access to the host
  • Privileges: Requires a low-privilege account
  • User interaction: No user interaction needed
  • Complexity: No special conditions — reliably repeatable

✓ lowers the bar for an attacker · ⚠ raises it

Proof of concept & exploit code

Test against your own equipment

curl -s https://vulnpedia.com/cve/CVE-2026-52923/poc.jsonMachine-readable PoC index for this CVE (for automation).

Listed for defensive triage, patch verification, and authorized testing on systems you own. Machine-readable: /cve/CVE-2026-52923/poc.json

Affected

Vendors Linux Red Hat

Products Linux Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 Linux Kernel

Weakness (CWE)

  • CWE-825: Expired Pointer Dereference
  • CWE-401: Memory leak

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Known Affected Software Configurations

VendorProductVersion range
LinuxLinux Kernel≥ 3.8.1 and < 5.10.259
LinuxLinux Kernel≥ 5.11 and < 5.15.210
LinuxLinux Kernel≥ 5.16 and < 6.1.176
LinuxLinux Kernel≥ 6.2 and < 6.6.143
LinuxLinux Kernel≥ 6.7 and < 6.12.93
LinuxLinux Kernel≥ 6.13 and < 6.18.35
LinuxLinux Kernel≥ 6.19 and < 7.0.12
LinuxLinux Kernel3.8
LinuxLinux Kernel3.8
LinuxLinux Kernel3.8
LinuxLinux Kernel3.8
LinuxLinux Kernel3.8
LinuxLinux Kernel3.8
LinuxLinux Kernel7.1
LinuxLinux Kernel7.1
LinuxLinux Kernel7.1
LinuxLinux Kernel7.1
LinuxLinux Kernel7.1

All CVSS metrics

  • HIGH 7.8 v3.1 · CNA Primary
    CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
  • MEDIUM 5.8 v3.1 · ADP Primary
    CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:H
  • HIGH 7.8 v3.1 · NVD Secondary
    CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
  • MEDIUM 5.8 v3.1 · NVD Secondary
    CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:H

Sources: NVD · CVE.org · EPSS