# CVE-2026-53234: linux: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:  net: ibm: emac: Fix use-after-free during device...

CVE-2026-53234 is fixed in linux on 1 platform, first by DEBIAN-CVE-2026-53234, released June 25, 2026. It is not reported as exploited. Patch Radar priority: High.

- Web page: https://patchblox.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-53234
- Priority: High
- CVSS: 7.8 (high)
- EPSS: 0.0018
- CISA KEV: not listed
- Exploited (vendor report): no
- Publicly disclosed: no
- Published: Jun 25, 2026

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:  net: ibm: emac: Fix use-after-free during device removal  The driver was using devm_register_netdev() which causes unregister_netdev() to be deferred until the devres cleanup phase, which runs after emac_remove() returns. This creates a use-after-free window where:  1. emac_remove() is called, which tears down hardware (cancels work, detaches    modules, unregisters from MAL) 2. emac_remove() returns 3. devres cleanup runs and finally calls unregister_netdev()  During step 3, the network stack might still process packets, triggering emac_irq(), emac_poll(), or other handlers that access now-freed hardware resources (dev->emacp, dev->mal, etc.).  Fix this by replacing devm_register_netdev() with manual register_netdev() and calling unregister_netdev() at the beginning of emac_remove(), before any hardware teardown. This ensures the network device is fully stopped and unregistered before hardware resources are released.  The change is safe because: - dev->ndev is assigned very early in probe (before any error paths that   could bypass emac_remove) - platform_set_drvdata() is only called after successful registration, so   emac_remove() only runs for fully registered devices - unregister_netdev() is idempotent and safe to call on any registered device

## Where it's fixed

| Platform | Product | Fixed in | Fix | Released |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | linux Debian 13.5 (trixie) | 6.12.94-1 | [DEBIAN-CVE-2026-53234](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/debian-cve-2026-53234.md) | Jun 25, 2026 |
| Linux | linux Debian 14 | 7.0.13-1 | [DEBIAN-CVE-2026-53234](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/debian-cve-2026-53234.md) | Jun 25, 2026 |

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Data as of 2026-11-09T01:18:40Z UTC. Source: Patchblox Patch Radar (https://patchblox.com/security/patch-radar). Patchblox finds out-of-date software on Windows, macOS and Linux and updates it through release rings: https://patchblox.com/demo

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