CVE-2026-68192
Received Received - Intake

Memory Leak in Linux Kernel brcmfmac WiFi Driver

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: wifi: brcmfmac: make release_scratchbuffers idempotent brcmf_pcie_release_scratchbuffers() frees the shared.scratch and shared.ringupd DMA buffers with dma_free_coherent() but does not clear the pointers afterwards, unlike the sibling release_ringbuffers() which NULLs commonrings/flowrings/idxbuf on release. Both the bus_reset .reset callback (brcmf_pcie_reset) and brcmf_pcie_remove() call release_scratchbuffers. When reset teardown has run before removal, remove's own teardown would call dma_free_coherent() a second time on the already-freed DMA allocation. NULL the pointers after free, matching release_ringbuffers(), so a later release observes that the allocation has already been released. This patch makes repeated sequential release safe; the reset-work lifetime is handled separately by the following patch. This issue was found by an in-house static analysis tool.

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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-2026-68192
EUVD
EUVD-2026-55293

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
linux_kernel 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 the brcmfmac WiFi driver. The issue occurs in the brcmf_pcie_release_scratchbuffers() function, which frees DMA buffers but fails to clear the pointers afterward. This can lead to a double-free scenario when the function is called multiple times, such as during a reset and removal sequence.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to the Linux kernel's brcmfmac WiFi driver and involves improper handling of DMA buffers. Detection requires checking kernel logs for errors related to brcmfmac or DMA buffer issues. Commands like dmesg | grep brcmfmac or journalctl -k | grep brcmfmac may help identify related errors.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability could cause system instability or crashes if the affected WiFi driver is used. A double-free of DMA buffers may corrupt memory, leading to kernel panics or unexpected behavior. Users relying on WiFi connectivity through this driver may experience disconnections or system failures.

Mitigation Strategies

Update the Linux kernel to a patched version where this issue is resolved. Monitor kernel updates from your distribution and apply them promptly. No additional commands are required for mitigation beyond standard kernel updates.

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