CVE-2026-68181
Received Received - Intake

MEI Bus Use-After-Free in Linux Kernel

Publication date: 2026-08-10

Last updated on: 2026-08-10

Assigner: kernel.org

Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mei: bus: access mei_device under device_lock on cleanup Fix couple of problems in mei_cl_bus_dev_release(): mei_cl_flush_queues() is running without lock. bus->file_list access after mei_dev_bus_put(bus) can become a use-after-free if this was the last reference to bus. Protect queues cleanup and WARN traversal by device lock there to avoid the concurrent access problems. Move WARN traversal before mei_dev_bus_put(bus). This file uses bus variable name for mei_device, adjust code of mei_cl_bus_dev_release() to use bus variable too.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-08-10
Last Modified
2026-08-10
Generated
2026-08-10
AI Q&A
2026-08-10
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-68181
EUVD
EUVD-2026-55282

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
intel management_engine_interface *

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Exploitability

CWE
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KEV
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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 device cleanup in the MEI (Intel Management Engine Interface) bus subsystem. The issue occurs in mei_cl_bus_dev_release() where mei_cl_flush_queues() runs without proper locking, and accessing bus->file_list after mei_dev_bus_put(bus) can lead to a use-after-free condition if the bus reference count drops to zero. The fix ensures queues cleanup and WARN traversal are protected by the device lock to prevent concurrent access issues.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to the Linux kernel's MEI (Management Engine Interface) bus subsystem. Detection requires checking kernel logs for MEI-related errors or crashes during device cleanup. Commands like dmesg | grep mei or journalctl -k | grep mei may show related issues. Ensure your kernel version includes the fix.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability could allow an attacker to cause a denial-of-service condition or potentially execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges by exploiting race conditions during device cleanup. Systems using the affected MEI bus functionality may experience crashes or instability.

Mitigation Strategies

Update your Linux kernel to a patched version that includes the fix for CVE-2026-68181. This resolves the use-after-free and concurrent access issues in the MEI bus subsystem. Check your distribution's security advisories for the specific kernel version.

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