CVE-2026-64586
Received Received - Intake

Use-After-Free in Linux Kernel's brcmfmac WiFi Driver

Vulnerability report for CVE-2026-64586, including description, CVSS score, EPSS score, affected products, exploitability, helpful resources, and attack-flow context.

Publication date: 2026-08-06

Last updated on: 2026-08-06

Assigner: kernel.org

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: brcmfmac: drain bus_reset work on device removal brcmf_fw_crashed() and the debugfs "reset" entry both schedule drvr->bus_reset, whose callback recovers drvr through container_of() and dereferences it. The removal path frees drvr (brcmf_free -> wiphy_free) without draining the work, so a bus_reset callback pending or running during removal can outlive drvr. Cancellation cannot live in brcmf_detach() or brcmf_free(): the work callback reaches teardown through the bus .reset op (PCIe brcmf_pcie_reset -> brcmf_detach; SDIO brcmf_sdio_bus_reset -> brcmf_sdiod_remove -> brcmf_free), so cancelling there would wait for the running work and deadlock. Add a per-bus mutex (bus_reset_lock) and route all arming through brcmf_bus_schedule_reset(), which under the lock skips when the bus is marked removing. Each bus remove entry calls brcmf_bus_cancel_reset_work(), which under the same lock sets removing and cancels the work. Holding the mutex across cancel_work_sync() makes the set-removing + drain step atomic. Every producer reaches the arming path from process context -- the PCIe firmware-halt notification runs in the threaded IRQ handler (brcmf_pcie_isr_thread) and the SDIO hostmail path runs from the data workqueue -- so the mutex is taken only in sleepable contexts. Where applicable the remove entry first stops the firmware-crash producer: on PCIe mask the mailbox and synchronize_irq; on SDIO unregister the bus interrupt and cancel the data worker, which also reports firmware halts through brcmf_fw_crashed(). The mutex is initialized at bus allocation. The SDIO suspend power-off path frees drvr through the same brcmf_sdiod_remove() and takes the same lock; resume re-allows the work only on a successful re-probe. Also guard brcmf_fw_crashed() against a NULL bus_if/drvr: it can fire before brcmf_attach() wires up drvr, and it dereferences drvr (bphy_err/brcmf_dev_coredump) before reaching the arming gate. The bus_reset work is shared across buses, so the drain is applied to every remove path: PCIe (the .reset op introduced by the Fixes commit), SDIO (arms the same work through brcmf_fw_crashed()), and USB (via the debugfs "reset" entry). cancel_work_sync() drains a running or pending bus_reset work item before removal frees drvr, and patch 1/2 makes the scratch-buffer release safe when reset teardown has already released those DMA buffers. This patch fixes the lifetime of the bus_reset work item itself. It does not attempt to address the separate, pre-existing lifetime of the asynchronous firmware completion started by the PCIe reset path. That callback needs its own lifetime/ownership protocol and is being tracked separately. This issue was found by an in-house static analysis tool.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-08-06
Last Modified
2026-08-06
Generated
2026-08-06
AI Q&A
2026-08-06
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
EUVD

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
brcm brcmfmac *

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

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CWE ID Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

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Executive Summary

This vulnerability in the Linux kernel involves improper handling of the bus_reset work item in the brcmfmac Wi-Fi driver. When a device is removed, the driver frees resources without properly canceling scheduled work that may still be running or pending. This can lead to use-after-free issues where the work callback tries to access freed memory.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to the Linux kernel's brcmfmac WiFi driver and involves improper handling of the bus_reset work item during device removal. Detection requires checking the kernel version and brcmfmac driver status. Use commands like 'uname -a' to check the kernel version and 'lsmod | grep brcmfmac' to verify if the driver is loaded. Look for kernel logs with 'dmesg | grep brcmfmac' for errors related to bus_reset or device removal.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability could cause system instability or crashes if a Wi-Fi device is removed while recovery operations are still scheduled. It may lead to kernel panics, data corruption, or security issues due to accessing freed memory.

Mitigation Strategies

Immediate mitigation involves updating the Linux kernel to a patched version that includes the fix for this vulnerability. Check your distribution's security updates or kernel patches. If updating is not immediately possible, consider disabling the brcmfmac driver if not in use, or restrict WiFi functionality until the patch is applied.

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