CVE-2026-19575
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Vulnerability report for CVE-2026-19575, including description, CVSS score, EPSS score, affected products, exploitability, helpful resources, and attack-flow context.

Publication date: 2026-10-09

Last updated on: 2026-10-09

Assigner: Zephyr Project

Description

The user-mode verification handler for the device_deinit() system call, z_vrfy_device_deinit() in kernel/device.c, validated its dev argument with K_SYSCALL_OBJ_INIT(dev, K_OBJ_ANY). k_object_validate() short-circuits its type comparison when the requested type is K_OBJ_ANY, so the check reduced to "this pointer is the base address of some kernel object the calling thread has been granted" β€” the object's actual type was never compared, and K_SYSCALL_OBJ_INIT also skips the initialization-state check. The sibling handlers z_vrfy_device_init() and z_vrfy_device_is_ready() already used K_OBJ_DRIVER_ANY and were unaffected. A thread running in user mode can therefore pass any kernel object it holds permission on β€” most usefully a thread stack object obtained from the k_thread_stack_alloc() syscall or a statically defined K_THREAD_STACK it was granted in order to spawn a child user thread β€” whose backing memory is writable from user mode. z_impl_device_deinit() then interprets those attacker-written bytes as a struct device: it dereferences the state pointer read out of the object, calls the function pointer read out of ops.deinit, and on success writes through state again. The result is an indirect call to an arbitrary address executed in supervisor mode, plus an arbitrary kernel read and a single-byte kernel write. Exploitation gives a local unprivileged thread full kernel code execution, defeating the CONFIG_USERSPACE isolation boundary entirely; a less precise attempt yields a supervisor-mode fault and a system crash. The defect is only reachable in builds that enable both CONFIG_USERSPACE and CONFIG_DEVICE_DEINIT_SUPPORT β€” with de-initialization support disabled, z_impl_device_deinit() returns -ENOTSUP without ever dereferencing the pointer. In v4.2.x and v4.3.x, CONFIG_DEVICE_DEINIT_SUPPORT defaulted to y, so every CONFIG_USERSPACE build of those releases is exposed unless the option was explicitly turned off. From v4.4.0 the option is opt-in (no default, and not selected by any in-tree subsystem), so a v4.4.x build is exposed only if it enables the option explicitly. The v4.2 line is no longer maintained and receives no backport. The fix changes the object check to K_OBJ_DRIVER_ANY, which constrains the argument to the build-generated driver object type range (K_OBJ_DRIVER_FIRST..K_OBJ_DRIVER_LAST) β€” the real struct device instances placed by the linker β€” so the state and ops.deinit fields are once again kernel-controlled.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-10-09
Last Modified
2026-10-09
Generated
2026-10-19
AI Q&A
2026-10-09
EPSS Evaluated
2026-10-18
NVD
EUVD

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
zephyrproject zephyr 4.2.0

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-843 The product allocates or initializes a resource such as a pointer, object, or variable using one type, but it later accesses that resource using a type that is incompatible with the original type.

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Executive Summary

CVE-2026-19575 is a type confusion flaw in the Zephyr RTOS kernel's device_deinit system call. The verification handler incorrectly validates the device object using K_SYSCALL_OBJ_INIT(dev, K_OBJ_ANY), which only checks if the pointer is a valid kernel object without verifying its actual type. This allows an attacker to pass a thread stack or other writable kernel object they control, which the kernel misinterprets as a struct device. The kernel then dereferences attacker-controlled pointers, enabling an indirect call to an arbitrary address in supervisor mode, along with arbitrary kernel reads and single-byte writes.

Detection Guidance

To detect this vulnerability, check if your Zephyr RTOS build has both CONFIG_USERSPACE and CONFIG_DEVICE_DEINIT_SUPPORT enabled. Inspect kernel configuration files or run 'grep CONFIG_USERSPACE .config && grep CONFIG_DEVICE_DEINIT_SUPPORT .config' in your build directory. If both are enabled, the system is vulnerable.

Impact Analysis

Exploitation grants a local unprivileged thread full kernel code execution, completely bypassing the CONFIG_USERSPACE isolation boundary. This could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code in supervisor mode, crash the system, or perform unauthorized memory reads and writes. The impact depends on the system configuration but can lead to full system compromise if CONFIG_USERSPACE and CONFIG_DEVICE_DEINIT_SUPPORT are enabled.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability could lead to unauthorized access, data breaches, or system compromise, which may violate compliance requirements under GDPR, HIPAA, or other regulations. Failure to patch this flaw could result in non-compliance due to inadequate security controls protecting sensitive data and system integrity.

Mitigation Strategies

Disable CONFIG_DEVICE_DEINIT_SUPPORT in your Zephyr RTOS build configuration if enabled. Alternatively, apply the official patch by updating to a fixed version (v4.3.x with backport, v4.4.x with backport, or v4.5.0+). Ensure no builds with both CONFIG_USERSPACE and CONFIG_DEVICE_DEINIT_SUPPORT are deployed.

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