CVE-2026-68209
Received Received - Intake

Buffer Leak in Linux Kernel sun4i-csi 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: media: sun4i-csi: Return queued buffers on start_streaming() failure The vb2 framework hands buffers to the driver via buf_queue() before calling start_streaming(). If start_streaming() returns an error without first returning those buffers via vb2_buffer_done(), vb2_start_streaming() fires WARN_ON(owned_by_drv_count) and the queued buffers leak. sun4i_csi_start_streaming() returned -EINVAL when no matching CSI format could be found, before any setup (scratch buffer allocation, pipeline start) had been performed. The remaining error paths already converge on the err_clear_dma_queue label, which calls return_all_buffers(..., VB2_BUF_STATE_QUEUED) under csi->qlock. Jump to that label directly: the intermediate err_disable_device / err_disable_pipeline / err_free_scratch_buffer labels are skipped, which is correct because nothing they would undo has happened yet. This mirrors the uvcvideo fix in commit 4cf3b6fd54eb ("media: uvcvideo: Return queued buffers on start_streaming() failure").

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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-2026-68209
EUVD
EUVD-2026-55310

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 in the Linux kernel involves a buffer leak in the sun4i-csi media driver. When start_streaming() fails, queued buffers are not properly returned, causing a leak detected by the vb2 framework. The issue occurs when no matching CSI format is found, leading to an error before setup completes.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to the Linux kernel's media subsystem, particularly the sun4i-csi driver. Detection requires checking kernel logs for errors related to sun4i-csi or media buffer handling. Use commands like dmesg | grep -i csi or journalctl -k | grep -i csi to inspect kernel messages for buffer-related errors or failures in streaming initialization.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability could lead to system instability or resource exhaustion due to leaked buffers. Applications relying on the sun4i-csi driver may experience crashes, hangs, or degraded performance if buffers are not properly managed during streaming failures.

Mitigation Strategies

Update your Linux kernel to a patched version that includes the fix for this vulnerability. Monitor kernel updates from your distribution vendor and apply them promptly. If immediate patching is not possible, consider disabling the sun4i-csi driver if not in use to reduce attack surface.

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