CVE-2026-64168
Received Received - Intake

SPI DMA Failure Leads to Error Pointer Dereference in Linux Kernel

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: spi: sprd: fix error pointer deref after DMA setup failure The driver falls back to PIO mode if DMA setup fails during probe. Make sure to check the dma.enabled flag before trying to release the DMA channels also on late probe errors to avoid dereferencing an error pointer (or attempting to release a channel a second time). This issue was flagged by Sashiko when reviewing a devres allocation conversion patch.

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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-2026-64168
EUVD
EUVD-2026-45853

Affected Vendors & Products

Currently, no data is known.

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Exploitability

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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

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Executive Summary

This vulnerability is in the Linux kernel's SPI driver for Spreadtrum devices. It occurs when DMA setup fails during initialization. The driver then switches to PIO mode but may incorrectly handle DMA channel cleanup, leading to dereferencing an error pointer or releasing a channel twice.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to the Linux kernel's SPI driver for Spreadtrum devices. Detection requires checking kernel logs for DMA setup failures in the spi-sprd driver during system boot or device probing. Look for errors related to DMA channel release or dereferencing error pointers in dmesg output.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability could cause kernel crashes or instability if DMA setup fails and the driver mishandles cleanup. It may lead to system hangs or require a reboot to recover.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability does not directly affect compliance with GDPR, HIPAA, or other common standards and regulations. It is a Linux kernel driver issue related to SPI and DMA handling, which does not involve data privacy, security controls, or protected health information.

Mitigation Strategies

Update your Linux kernel to a patched version that includes the fix for this issue. Monitor kernel logs for DMA-related errors during SPI device initialization. If you encounter DMA setup failures, avoid manual intervention as the driver should fall back to PIO mode automatically.

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