HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2026-31533
CRITICAL

CVE-2026-31533

Published: April 23, 2026· Updated: Apr 29, 2026

9.8
CVSS v3.1
EPSS:0.01%probability of exploitation in 30 daysPercentile:2.6th

Official Description

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

net/tls: fix use-after-free in -EBUSY error path of tls_do_encryption

The -EBUSY handling in tls_do_encryption(), introduced by commit

859054147318 ("net: tls: handle backlogging of crypto requests"), has

a use-after-free due to double cleanup of encrypt_pending and the

scatterlist entry.

When crypto_aead_encrypt() returns -EBUSY, the request is enqueued to

the cryptd backlog and the async callback tls_encrypt_done() will be

invoked upon completion. That callback unconditionally restores the

scatterlist entry (sge->offset, sge->length) and decrements

ctx->encrypt_pending. However, if tls_encrypt_async_wait() returns an

error, the synchronous error path in tls_do_encryption() performs the

same cleanup again, double-decrementing encrypt_pending and

double-restoring the scatterlist.

The double-decrement corrupts the encrypt_pending sentinel (initialized

to 1), making tls_encrypt_async_wait() permanently skip the wait for

pending async callbacks. A subsequent sendmsg can then free the

tls_rec via bpf_exec_tx_verdict() while a cryptd callback is still

pending, resulting in a use-after-free when the callback fires on the

freed record.

Fix this by skipping the synchronous cleanup when the -EBUSY async

wait returns an error, since the callback has already handled

encrypt_pending and sge restoration.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2026-31533 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.

The vulnerability requires no privileges and no user interaction, making it a prime target for automated exploitation campaigns and worm-like propagation.

A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 9.8.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.None
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

Linux1 product
linux kernel
Source: NVD CPE · 2 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time
External links open in a new tab. Always verify in a controlled environment before use.

Official Patches & Advisories

All References (7)

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2026-31533
CVSS Score9.8 / 10
SeverityCRITICAL
CISA KEVNo
EPSS (30d)0.01%
Affected1 vendor
PublishedApr 23, 2026

Recommended Actions

  • Apply vendor patches immediately
  • Monitor CVE-2026-31533 in threat intel feeds
  • Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts
Data sourced from NVD (NIST), CISA KEV, and EPSS (FIRST). Analysis generated by CTIWATCH.COM. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.