Linux kernel act_pedit out-of-bounds write security flaw (CVE-2026-46331)
Vulnerability
Summary
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A Linux kernel traffic-control flaw, CVE-2026-46331, lets a local unprivileged user gain root by abusing an out-of-bounds write in act_pedit. A public working exploit appeared within a day of assignment and was shown corrupting a cached /bin/su image in memory without touching the file on disk. Vendors list affected releases across RHEL, Debian, and Ubuntu, and patched kernels or mitigations are available.
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Timeline
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26.06.2026 16:00 1 articles · 3h ago
CVE-2026-46331 is assigned for the act_pedit out-of-bounds write
Initial DisclosureLinux kernel CVE-2026-46331, nicknamed pedit COW, is assigned on June 16, 2026 for an out-of-bounds write in act_pedit that corrupts shared page-cache memory, and the fix is merged the same day; Red Hat rates the flaw as important.
Show sources
- New Linux pedit COW Exploit Enables Root Access by Poisoning Cached Binaries — thehackernews.com — 26.06.2026 16:00
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26.06.2026 16:00 1 articles · 3h ago
Public exploit gains root by poisoning a cached /bin/su image
Exploitation ObservedA public working exploit appears within a day of the June 16, 2026 CVE assignment and lets a local unprivileged user gain root by poisoning the cached copy of /bin/su in memory without touching the file on disk; the tested RHEL 10 and Debian 13 targets had act_pedit loadable and unprivileged user namespaces enabled.
Show sources
- New Linux pedit COW Exploit Enables Root Access by Poisoning Cached Binaries — thehackernews.com — 26.06.2026 16:00
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26.06.2026 16:00 2 articles · 3h ago
Ubuntu and Debian list Linux kernel releases as vulnerable to CVE-2026-46331
Campaign Scope UpdateAs of June 25, 2026, Ubuntu lists supported releases from 18.04 through 26.04 as vulnerable, Debian has fixed trixie through its security channel while Debian 11 and 12 remain listed as vulnerable, and Red Hat lists RHEL 8, 9, and 10 as affected.
Show sources
- New Linux pedit COW Exploit Enables Root Access by Poisoning Cached Binaries — thehackernews.com — 26.06.2026 16:00
- New Linux pedit COW Exploit Enables Root Access by Poisoning Cached Binaries — thehackernews.com — 26.06.2026 16:00