Description
A use-after-free caused by lack of lifecycle management when adding / removing XInput master devices in X.org X Server before 21.1.25 and XWayland before 24.1.14 could be used by authenticated X Clients to crash the X server or potentially execute code in X server context.
Published: 2026-10-28
Score: 5.5 Medium
EPSS: < 1% Very Low
KEV: No
Impact: Local Arbitrary Code Execution
Action: Immediate Patch
AI Analysis

Impact

A use‑after‑free flaw exists in the Xorg X11 server. When a local user establishes a passive input grab and then removes an input device, subsequent input events cause the server to dereference a now‑dangling device pointer. This instability can lead to a crash of the X server or enable an authenticated X client to execute code in X server context.

Affected Systems

The vulnerability affects systems running the Xorg X11 server and XWayland. No specific product versions are listed in the current disclosure.

Risk and Exploitability

The flaw carries a CVSS score of 5.5, indicating a medium severity. With EPSS data unavailable and the vulnerability not in the CISA KEV catalog, the likelihood of exploitation is uncertain but remains a serious concern for environments that allow local users to control X sessions. Because the exploit requires local access, the risk is confined to machines where the attacker has login privileges, but the impact—arbitrary code execution—can compromise the entire graphical session.

Generated by OpenCVE AI on October 28, 2026 at 15:21 UTC.

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record.

OpenCVE Recommended Actions

  • Upgrade the Xorg X11 server to the latest stable release that fixes the use‑after‑free bug.
  • Restrict X server operation to trusted users and disable passive input grabs for untrusted sessions whenever possible.
  • Enable core dump protection and monitor X server logs for crashes or anomalous memory access; restart the server promptly if a crash is detected.

Generated by OpenCVE AI on October 28, 2026 at 15:21 UTC.

Tracking

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Advisories

No advisories yet.

History

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 13:15:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description A flaw was found in xorg-x11-server. A local user can exploit a use-after-free condition—where the software attempts to access memory after it has been freed—by establishing a passive input grab and removing an input device. When subsequent input events are processed, the server dereferences the dangling device pointer. This flaw can lead to arbitrary code execution or a Denial of Service (DoS) via an X server crash. A use-after-free caused by lack of lifecycle management when adding / removing XInput master devices in X.org X Server before 21.1.25 and XWayland before 24.1.14 could be used by authenticated X Clients to crash the X server or potentially execute code in X server context.
Title xorg-x11-server: xorg-x11-server: Arbitrary code execution via use-after-free in passive grab handling .Org Server XInput Passive Grab Use-After-Free
First Time appeared X.org xorg-x11-server
X.org xwayland
Weaknesses CWE-416
CPEs cpe:2.3:a:x.org:xorg-x11-server:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:x.org:xwayland:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products X.org xorg-x11-server
X.org xwayland
References
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 7.8, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'}

 cvssV3_1

{'score': 5.5, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'}

Sun, 18 Oct 2026 20:15:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared X.org
X.org x Server
Vendors & Products X.org
X.org x Server

Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:30:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description A flaw was found in xorg-x11-server. A local user can exploit a use-after-free condition—where the software attempts to access memory after it has been freed—by establishing a passive input grab and removing an input device. When subsequent input events are processed, the server dereferences the dangling device pointer. This flaw can lead to arbitrary code execution or a Denial of Service (DoS) via an X server crash.
Title xorg-x11-server: xorg-x11-server: Arbitrary code execution via use-after-free in passive grab handling
Weaknesses CWE-825
References
Metrics threat_severity

None

 cvssV3_1

{'score': 7.8, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'}

threat_severity

Important

Subscriptions

X.org X Server Xorg-x11-server Xwayland
cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: suse

Published:

Updated: 2026-10-28T13:03:30.088Z

Reserved: 2026-09-18T08:46:56.692Z

Link: CVE-2026-93516

cve-icon Vulnrichment

No data.

cve-icon NVD

Status : Awaiting Analysis

Published: 2026-10-28T13:17:29.237

Modified: 2026-10-28T14:07:11.677

Link: CVE-2026-93516

cve-icon Redhat

Severity : Important

Publid Date: 2026-10-07T12:00:00Z

Links: CVE-2026-93516 - Bugzilla

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

Updated: 2026-10-28T15:30:13Z

Weaknesses