Memory Leak in Linux Kernel Mailbox Test Driver

Publication date: 2026-06-26

Last updated on: 2026-07-08

Assigner: kernel.org

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mailbox: mailbox-test: free channels on probe error On probe error, free the previously obtained channels. This not only prevents a leak, but also UAF scenarios because the client structure will be removed nonetheless because it was allocated with devm.

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

Probability:
Percentile:

Meta Information

Published

2026-06-26

Last Modified

2026-07-08

Generated

2026-07-17

AI Q&A

2026-06-26

EPSS Evaluated

2026-07-15

NVD

CVE-2026-53296

EUVD

EUVD-2026-39901

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
linux	linux_kernel	7.1
linux	linux_kernel	From 6.2 (inc) to 6.6.141 (exc)
linux	linux_kernel	From 6.7 (inc) to 6.12.91 (exc)
linux	linux_kernel	From 6.13 (inc) to 6.18.33 (exc)
linux	linux_kernel	From 6.19 (inc) to 7.0.10 (exc)
linux	linux_kernel	From 5.16 (inc) to 6.1.175 (exc)
linux	linux_kernel	From 5.11 (inc) to 5.15.209 (exc)
linux	linux_kernel	From 4.4 (inc) to 5.10.258 (exc)

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-416	The product reuses or references memory after it has been freed. At some point afterward, the memory may be allocated again and saved in another pointer, while the original pointer references a location somewhere within the new allocation. Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory "belongs" to the code that operates on the new pointer.

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This vulnerability exists in the Linux kernel's mailbox subsystem, specifically in the mailbox-test component. It occurs when there is a probe error during initialization. The issue is that previously obtained channels were not freed properly on a probe error, which could lead to resource leaks and use-after-free (UAF) scenarios. The fix ensures that on a probe error, all previously allocated channels are freed, preventing these problems.

Impact Analysis

If this vulnerability is present, it can cause resource leaks and use-after-free conditions in the Linux kernel's mailbox subsystem. This can lead to system instability, crashes, or potentially exploitable conditions that might allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service.

Hi! I’m here to help you understand CVE-2026-53296. Ask me anything about the vulnerability, its impact, or mitigation strategies.

0/70