CVE-2026-68256

Received Received - Intake

Memory Leak in AMD Display Driver

Publication date: 2026-08-10

Last updated on: 2026-08-17

Assigner: kernel.org

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: drm/amd/display: detect_link_and_local_sink: DP alt mode timeout path leaks prev_sink reference prev_sink is unconditionally retained via dc_sink_retain at function entry, but the DP alt mode timeout path inside SIGNAL_TYPE_DISPLAY_PORT returns false without releasing prev_sink. All other return paths in the function correctly call dc_sink_release(prev_sink), making this the only missing cleanup. (cherry picked from commit 45510cf662dcf46b5d8926d454f338809f107b9d)

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

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Meta Information

Published

2026-08-10

Last Modified

2026-08-17

Generated

2026-08-30

AI Q&A

2026-08-10

EPSS Evaluated

2026-08-29

NVD

CVE-2026-68256

EUVD

EUVD-2026-55357

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
linux	linux_kernel	*

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This vulnerability in the Linux kernel involves a memory leak in the AMD display driver. The function detect_link_and_local_sink retains a reference to a sink object without releasing it in a specific error path, leading to a resource leak.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to the Linux kernel's AMD display driver (drm/amd/display). Detection requires checking kernel logs for DP alt mode timeout errors or sink reference leaks. Use commands like dmesg | grep -i 'drm.*display.*port' or journalctl -k | grep -i 'timeout.*sink' to identify related errors.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability could cause system instability or resource exhaustion over time due to the memory leak. It may lead to crashes or degraded performance in systems using AMD display hardware.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability is a memory leak in the Linux kernel's display driver for AMD hardware. It does not directly impact data privacy or security controls required by GDPR or HIPAA. Compliance with these standards depends on proper data handling and system integrity, which this issue does not directly affect.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the latest kernel update from your Linux distribution to patch this issue. If immediate patching is not possible, consider disabling AMD display port functionality temporarily or restricting affected systems from handling DP alt mode operations.

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