CVE-2026-72171
Received Received - Intake

Memory Corruption in Linux Kernel MTD SLRAM Driver

Publication date: 2026-08-15

Last updated on: 2026-08-15

Assigner: kernel.org

Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mtd: slram: remove failed entries from the device list register_device() links a new slram_mtdlist entry before allocating all of the state needed by the entry. If a later allocation, memremap(), or mtd_device_register() fails, the partially initialized entry remains on the global list. A later cleanup can then dereference or free invalid state from that failed entry. Unwind the partially initialized entry and clear the list tail on each failure path after the entry has been linked.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-08-15
Last Modified
2026-08-15
Generated
2026-08-15
AI Q&A
2026-08-15
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-72171
EUVD
EUVD-2026-58929

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 flaw in the mtd: slram driver where a device entry is added to a global list before all required resources are successfully allocated. If a later step fails, the partially initialized entry remains on the list, potentially leading to invalid memory access or crashes when the system attempts to use or clean up the failed entry.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to the Linux kernel's mtd subsystem, particularly the slram module. Detection requires checking if the slram module is loaded and examining kernel logs for failed device registrations. Commands like 'lsmod | grep slram' can check if the module is loaded. Kernel logs can be checked with 'dmesg | grep slram' or 'journalctl -k | grep slram' for recent entries.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability could cause system instability, crashes, or unexpected behavior if the mtd: slram driver is used. It may lead to data corruption or denial of service if the failed device entry is accessed during cleanup or normal operation.

Mitigation Strategies

Immediate mitigation involves unloading the slram module if it is loaded, using 'rmmod slram'. If the module is not in use, prevent it from loading by blacklisting it in '/etc/modprobe.d/'. Ensure your Linux kernel is updated to a patched version where this issue is resolved.

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