# Multiple Ubuntu Linux kernel vulnerabilities allow privilege escalation

Published: 2026-07-17 · Severity: elevated
Canonical: https://vorant.io/reports/a3733c35-5917-58be-991d-47f82e80d378/multiple-ubuntu-linux-kernel-vulnerabilities-allow-privilege-escalation

> Multiple Linux kernel flaws in Ubuntu 14.04, 16.04, 20.04, 24.04, and 25.10 enable privilege escalation, remote denial of service, and data disclosure.

CERT-FR has issued an advisory documenting multiple vulnerabilities discovered in the Linux kernel affecting multiple Ubuntu releases. The affected versions span from Ubuntu 14.04 ESM through Ubuntu 25.10, with the most recent LTS release (24.04) included. The vulnerabilities collectively enable three categories of attack: privilege escalation allowing unprivileged users to gain elevated system access, remote denial of service capabilities, and unauthorized access to sensitive data.

Ubuntu has released four security bulletins (USN-8545-1, USN-8546-1, USN-8547-1, and USN-8548-1) dated 15 July 2026 providing kernel patches across the affected releases. The advisory references 74 distinct CVEs spanning from 2021 through 2026, indicating this is a significant collection of kernel issues that have accumulated across multiple kernel versions and update cycles. Defenders running any of the named Ubuntu versions should apply the corresponding kernel updates immediately.

## Mentioned in this report

- Vulnerabilities: CVE-2021-47117, CVE-2021-47202, CVE-2022-48816, CVE-2023-52646, CVE-2023-53673, CVE-2024-56643, CVE-2025-37778, CVE-2025-37822, CVE-2025-37924, CVE-2025-38201, CVE-2025-40082, CVE-2025-68214, CVE-2025-68263, CVE-2025-71089, CVE-2025-71220, CVE-2025-71222, CVE-2025-71224, CVE-2026-22984, CVE-2026-23176, CVE-2026-23180, CVE-2026-23182, CVE-2026-23190, CVE-2026-23193, CVE-2026-23198, CVE-2026-23202, CVE-2026-23206, CVE-2026-23216, CVE-2026-23256, CVE-2026-23257, CVE-2026-23258, CVE-2026-23262, CVE-2026-23272, CVE-2026-23278, CVE-2026-23392, CVE-2026-23427, CVE-2026-23428, CVE-2026-23450, CVE-2026-23455, CVE-2026-31402, CVE-2026-31418

Source reporting: https://www.cert.ssi.gouv.fr/avis/CERTFR-2026-AVI-0898

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