CVE-2026-72245
Received Received - Intake

BaseFortify

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: gpu: host1x: Fix device reference leak in host1x_device_parse_dt() error path After device_initialize(), the embedded struct device in struct host1x_device should be released through the device core with put_device(). In host1x_device_add(), if host1x_device_parse_dt() fails, the current error path frees the object directly with kfree(device). That bypasses the normal device lifetime handling and leaks the reference held on the embedded struct device. The issue was identified by a static analysis tool I developed and confirmed by manual review. Fix this by using put_device() in the host1x_device_parse_dt() failure path.

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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-2026-72245
EUVD
EUVD-2026-59144

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 is a reference leak in the Linux kernel's GPU host1x driver. When parsing device tree data fails, the code incorrectly frees the device structure directly instead of properly releasing the device reference through the kernel's device management system. This bypasses normal cleanup and causes a memory leak.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to the Linux kernel's GPU host1x driver and does not have network-based detection methods. To detect it, check if your kernel version includes the affected code path by examining the host1x driver source or logs for device reference leaks during GPU driver initialization.

Impact Analysis

The impact is primarily on system stability and resource usage. The leaked device reference consumes memory that should have been freed. In severe cases, this could lead to memory exhaustion or system crashes over time, especially if the error path is triggered frequently.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the kernel patch that fixes the device reference leak in host1x_device_parse_dt(). Update your Linux kernel to a version that includes this fix. If patching is not immediately possible, consider disabling the host1x GPU driver if it is not required.

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