Linux Kernel Keyring Byte Order Bug Enables Key Collision
CVE-2026-74566 Published on August 15, 2026
keys: make keyring key-chunk byte order agree with keyring_diff_objects()
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
keys: make keyring key-chunk byte order agree with keyring_diff_objects()
keyring_get_key_chunk() loads description bytes into the index chunk low
address first, while keyring_diff_objects() numbers the first differing
bit from the low end and folds the absolute byte index into the level
without removing the inline-prefix offset the level already carries.
The two disagree on byte order and bit position, so the array can be
told two keys first differ at a bit that does not differ in the chunk
the walker uses, letting crafted descriptions collide into one node.
Load the chunk in the order keyring_diff_objects() assumes and drop the
inline-prefix length when folding the byte index into the level. This
only changes the in-memory ordering used to place keys within a keyring;
add, search and read of non-colliding keys are unaffected.
Products Associated with CVE-2026-74566
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Affected Versions
Linux:- Version f771fde82051976a6fc0fd570f8b86de4a92124b and below bd0f976ef89dce6db458bf75bc2cf51127becc41 is affected.
- Version f771fde82051976a6fc0fd570f8b86de4a92124b and below 7269df3e7fcfa308e6a456305162f7788747bdbd is affected.
- Version f771fde82051976a6fc0fd570f8b86de4a92124b and below 3d9f16c0b643ceac305526b2e2fe25c2c6166926 is affected.
- Version f771fde82051976a6fc0fd570f8b86de4a92124b and below 7e5397a3fed0dee7779bd084bec3c0584db3c930 is affected.
- Version f771fde82051976a6fc0fd570f8b86de4a92124b and below 58565eef0f8d861aae92abfb7658458d661cee17 is affected.
- Version 5.3 is affected.
- Before 5.3 is unaffected.
- Version 6.6.151, <= 6.6.* is unaffected.
- Version 6.12.103, <= 6.12.* is unaffected.
- Version 6.18.44, <= 6.18.* is unaffected.
- Version 7.1.8, <= 7.1.* is unaffected.
- Version 7.2-rc6, <= * is unaffected.