CVE-2026-53028

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Null pointer dereference in Linux kernel USB Type-C driver

Publication date: 2026-06-24

Last updated on: 2026-07-10

Assigner: kernel.org

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: usb: typec: Fix error pointer dereference The variable tps->partner is checked for an error pointer and then if it is, it sends an error message but does not return and then immediately dereferenced a few lines below: tps->partner = typec_register_partner(tps->port, &desc); if (IS_ERR(tps->partner)) dev_warn(tps->dev, "%s: failed to register partnet\n", __func__); if (desc.identity) { typec_partner_set_identity(tps->partner); cd321x->cur_partner_identity = st.partner_identity; } Add early return and fix spelling mistake in error message. Detected by Smatch: drivers/usb/typec/tipd/core.c:827 cd321x_update_work() error: 'tps->partner' dereferencing possible ERR_PTR()

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Meta Information

Published

2026-06-24

Last Modified

2026-07-10

Generated

2026-07-15

AI Q&A

2026-06-24

EPSS Evaluated

2026-07-13

NVD

CVE-2026-53028

EUVD

EUVD-2026-38896

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
linux	linux_kernel	*

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

Attack-Flow Graph

Impact Analysis

Dereferencing an error pointer in kernel code can lead to undefined behavior, including kernel crashes or system instability. This can cause denial of service by crashing the system or potentially lead to other unintended consequences depending on the context in which the error occurs.

Executive Summary

This vulnerability exists in the Linux kernel's USB Type-C driver code. Specifically, the variable 'tps->partner' is assigned a value that may be an error pointer. The code checks if 'tps->partner' is an error pointer and logs a warning if so, but it does not return early. Instead, it continues and dereferences 'tps->partner' immediately afterward, which can lead to an error pointer dereference.

The fix involved adding an early return after detecting the error pointer to prevent dereferencing it, as well as correcting a spelling mistake in the error message.

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