CVE-2026-53384
Received Received - Intake

Linux Kernel 8250 Port Use-After-Free

Publication date: 2026-07-19

Last updated on: 2026-07-19

Assigner: kernel.org

Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: serial: 8250_dw: unregister 8250 port if clk_notifier_register() fails dw8250_probe() registers the 8250 port via serial8250_register_8250_port() and then, if the device has a clock, registers a clock notifier. If clk_notifier_register() fails, probe returns the error but leaves the 8250 port registered. The matching serial8250_unregister_port() lives in dw8250_remove(), which is not called when probe fails, so the port slot stays occupied until the device is rebound or the system is rebooted. The devm-allocated driver data is freed while the port still references it (via the saved private_data and serial_in/serial_out callbacks), so any access to that port slot before a rebind is a use-after-free hazard. Unregister the port on the clk_notifier_register() error path.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-07-19
Last Modified
2026-07-19
Generated
2026-07-20
AI Q&A
2026-07-19
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-53384
EUVD
EUVD-2026-45506

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
linux linux_kernel *

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Exploitability

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CWE ID Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

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Executive Summary

This vulnerability in the Linux kernel involves improper cleanup during device probe. When the 8250_dw serial driver fails to register a clock notifier, it leaves the serial port registered even though the probe operation failed. This creates a use-after-free hazard where the port slot remains occupied until a system reboot or device rebind, potentially allowing access to freed memory.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to the Linux kernel's 8250 serial driver and may not have direct network detection methods. Check kernel logs for errors related to serial port initialization or clock notifier failures using 'dmesg | grep -i serial' or 'journalctl -k | grep -i serial'.

Impact Analysis

This could lead to system instability or crashes if the affected serial port is accessed after the driver data is freed. An attacker with local access might exploit this to execute arbitrary code or cause denial-of-service conditions on systems using the dw8250 serial driver with clock notifiers.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability does not directly affect compliance with standards like GDPR or HIPAA. It is a use-after-free hazard in the Linux kernel's serial port handling, which could lead to system instability or crashes but does not involve data exposure or privacy violations typical of compliance concerns.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the latest kernel update from your distribution to patch this issue. If immediate patching is not possible, avoid using affected serial devices until the update is applied. Rebooting the system may temporarily resolve the issue by clearing the use-after-free state.

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