CVE-2026-45939

Analyzed Analyzed - Analysis Complete

Memory Leak in Linux Kernel GPIB Subsystem

Publication date: 2026-05-27

Last updated on: 2026-06-24

Assigner: kernel.org

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: gpib: Fix memory leak in ni_usb_init() In ni_usb_init(), if ni_usb_setup_init() fails, the function returns -EFAULT without freeing the allocated writes buffer, leading to a memory leak. Additionally, ni_usb_setup_init() returns 0 on failure, which causes ni_usb_init() to return -EFAULT, an inappropriate error code for this situation. Fix the leak by freeing writes in the error path. Modify ni_usb_setup_init() to return -EINVAL on failure and propagate this error code in ni_usb_init().

CVSS Scores

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Meta Information

Published

2026-05-27

Last Modified

2026-06-24

Generated

2026-07-06

AI Q&A

2026-05-27

EPSS Evaluated

2026-07-05

NVD

CVE-2026-45939

EUVD

EUVD-2026-32223

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
linux	linux_kernel	From 6.13 (inc) to 6.18.14 (exc)
linux	linux_kernel	From 6.19 (inc) to 6.19.4 (exc)

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-401	The product does not sufficiently track and release allocated memory after it has been used, making the memory unavailable for reallocation and reuse.

Attack-Flow Graph

Mitigation Strategies

The vulnerability is fixed in the Linux kernel by correcting the memory leak in the gpib driver, specifically in the ni_usb_init() function. To mitigate this vulnerability, you should update your Linux kernel to a version that includes this fix.

Apply the latest Linux kernel updates or patches that address this issue.
Rebuild and deploy the updated kernel to your systems.
Restart affected systems to ensure the updated kernel is in use.

Executive Summary

This vulnerability exists in the Linux kernel's gpib driver, specifically in the ni_usb_init() function. When the function ni_usb_setup_init() fails, ni_usb_init() returns an error code (-EFAULT) without freeing a previously allocated buffer, causing a memory leak.

Additionally, ni_usb_setup_init() incorrectly returns 0 on failure, which leads ni_usb_init() to return an inappropriate error code (-EFAULT). The fix involves freeing the allocated buffer on error and changing ni_usb_setup_init() to return a proper error code (-EINVAL) that is then propagated by ni_usb_init().

Impact Analysis

The vulnerability causes a memory leak in the Linux kernel when the ni_usb_init() function encounters an initialization failure. Over time, this memory leak could lead to increased memory usage, potentially degrading system performance or causing instability.

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