CVE-2026-68332
Received Received - Intake

Use-After-Free in Airoha NPU 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: net: airoha: Fix potential use-after-free in airoha_ppe_deinit() airoha_ppe_deinit() replaces the NPU pointer with NULL via rcu_replace_pointer() but does not wait for existing RCU readers to exit before calling ppe_deinit() and airoha_npu_put(). This can cause a use-after-free if a reader in an RCU read-side critical section still holds a reference to the NPU when it is freed. The init path (airoha_ppe_init) already calls synchronize_rcu() after rcu_assign_pointer(), but the deinit path introduced in commit 6abcf751bc08 ("net: airoha: Fix schedule while atomic in airoha_ppe_deinit()") omitted the matching barrier when switching from rcu_read_lock()/rcu_dereference() to rcu_replace_pointer(). Add synchronize_rcu() before ppe_deinit() to ensure all existing RCU readers have completed before the NPU resources are released.

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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-2026-68332
EUVD
EUVD-2026-55433

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
airoha linux_kernel *

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Exploitability

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CWE ID Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

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Executive Summary

This is a use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's airoha network driver. It occurs when airoha_ppe_deinit() replaces an NPU pointer with NULL but fails to wait for existing RCU readers to finish before freeing resources. This can lead to crashes or memory corruption if a reader still holds a reference to the freed NPU.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to the Linux kernel's airoha network driver and requires kernel-level detection. There are no standard network commands to detect it directly. Check kernel logs for use-after-free errors related to airoha or NPU components using dmesg or journalctl. If you suspect exploitation, monitor for crashes in network-related processes or kernel panics.

Impact Analysis

If exploited, this could cause system instability, crashes, or privilege escalation on affected Linux systems using the airoha network driver. It may allow attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause denial-of-service conditions.

Mitigation Strategies

Update your Linux kernel to the latest stable version that includes the fix for CVE-2026-68332. If immediate patching is not possible, disable the airoha driver module (airoha) if not in use. Monitor kernel security advisories for further updates.

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