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CVE-2026-46242 ("Bad Epoll") is a Linux kernel use-after-free race condition in the eventpoll subsystem, specifically in ep_remove() as reached via ep_remove_file(). The vulnerable logic clears file->f_ep under file->f_lock and then continues to use the same struct file within that critical section, including through is_file_epoll(), hlist_del_rcu(), and spin_unlock(). A concurrent __fput() can observe the transient NULL in file->f_ep, take the eventpoll_release() fast path, skip eventpoll_release_file(), and proceed to f_op->release and file_free(). In the epoll-watches-epoll case, this can free the watched struct eventpoll while ep_remove() still holds references into its embedded refs hlist_head, causing hlist_del_rcu() to write through a stale epi->fllink.pprev pointer into freed kmalloc-192 memory. Because struct file is SLAB_TYPESAFE_BY_RCU, the freed file slot may also be recycled by alloc_empty_file() while ep_remove() is still operating on it, leading to reuse of reinitialized f_lock/f_ep state and an attacker-controllable kmem_cache_free() against the wrong slab cache. The upstream fix pins the file with epi_fget() at the start of ep_remove() and only enters the critical section if that pin succeeds, preventing __fput() from reaching refcount zero and keeping the watched struct eventpoll alive across the vulnerable operations.
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A Linux kernel local privilege escalation vulnerability in the epoll subsystem caused by a race condition and use-after-free in ep_remove(), allowing an unprivileged local user to gain root, including on Android devices.
A specific vulnerability identified as CVE-2026-46242, referenced in the context of a kernelCTF exploit addition.
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Every observed campaign linking this CVE to a named adversary.
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Cross-references every affected SKU, including bundled OEM variants.
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