CVE-2026-64498
Received Received - Intake

Use-After-Free in Linux Kernel IIO Buffer

Publication date: 2026-07-25

Last updated on: 2026-07-25

Assigner: kernel.org

Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: iio: buffer: hw-consumer: free scan_mask on buffer release The scan_mask lifetime changed in commit 9a2e1233d38c ("iio: buffer: hw-consumer: remove redundant scan_mask flexible array"). Before that change, the scan mask storage was embedded in struct hw_consumer_buffer, so iio_hw_buf_release() could free the whole allocation with a single kfree(hw_buf). That commit moved the scan mask to a separate bitmap_zalloc() allocation stored in buffer.scan_mask, but left iio_hw_buf_release() unchanged. Free the scan mask in iio_hw_buf_release() before freeing the buffer wrapper.

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

Probability:
Percentile:

Meta Information

Published
2026-07-25
Last Modified
2026-07-25
Generated
2026-08-14
AI Q&A
2026-07-25
EPSS Evaluated
2026-08-13
NVD
CVE-2026-64498
EUVD
EUVD-2026-48842

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 2 associated CPEs
Vendor Product Version / Range
linux kernel *
linux linux_kernel *

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE
CWE Icon
KEV
KEV Icon
CWE ID Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

Attack-Flow Graph

AI Quick Actions

Instant insights powered by AI
Executive Summary

This is a memory management issue in the Linux kernel's Industrial I/O (IIO) subsystem. A scan_mask resource was moved to a separate allocation but the cleanup function was not updated to free it, potentially causing a memory leak when buffers are released.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to the Linux kernel's IIO buffer subsystem and does not have direct network detection methods. Detection involves checking kernel logs for related errors or verifying if the affected kernel version is running. Commands like 'dmesg | grep -i iio' or 'uname -a' may help identify the kernel version.

Impact Analysis

This could lead to gradual memory exhaustion if many buffers are created and released over time, potentially causing system instability or crashes due to running out of available memory.

Mitigation Strategies

Update the Linux kernel to a version that includes the fix for this vulnerability. Monitor kernel security advisories and apply patches promptly. If immediate patching is not possible, consider disabling affected IIO buffer functionalities as a temporary workaround.

Chat Assistant

Ask questions about this CVE
Hi! I’m here to help you understand CVE-2026-64498. Ask me anything about the vulnerability, its impact, or mitigation strategies.
0/70

EPSS Chart