CVE-2026-72269

Received Received - Intake

Memory Leak in Linux Kernel fbdev uvesafb

Publication date: 2026-08-15

Last updated on: 2026-08-17

Assigner: kernel.org

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: fbdev: uvesafb: fix potential memory leak in uvesafb_probe() Due to an incorrect goto label, memory allocated for modedb and modelist in uvesafb_vbe_init() is not freed in some error paths. Fix this by updating the goto label.

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

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Meta Information

Published

2026-08-15

Last Modified

2026-08-17

Generated

2026-09-04

AI Q&A

2026-08-15

EPSS Evaluated

2026-09-03

NVD

CVE-2026-72269

EUVD

EUVD-2026-59168

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
linux_kernel	linux_kernel	*
linux_kernel	uvesafb	*

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This is a memory leak vulnerability in the Linux kernel's fbdev subsystem, specifically in the uvesafb driver. When probing the driver, memory is allocated for modedb and modelist. Due to an incorrect goto label, this memory is not freed if an error occurs during initialization, leading to a potential memory leak.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to the Linux kernel's fbdev uvesafb component and involves a memory leak during error paths in uvesafb_probe(). Detection requires checking for kernel versions affected by this issue and inspecting kernel logs for memory allocation errors related to uvesafb.

Impact Analysis

The impact is limited to systems using the uvesafb driver. Memory leaks can cause gradual system slowdowns or crashes over time as available memory is exhausted. However, the leak only occurs during driver initialization failures, which are uncommon in normal operation.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability is a memory leak in the Linux kernel's uvesafb driver, which does not directly impact compliance with standards like GDPR or HIPAA. Memory leaks are primarily performance and stability issues rather than data protection or privacy concerns.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the latest kernel patch that resolves this issue. If using a distribution kernel, update to the patched version. For custom kernels, ensure the fix for uvesafb memory leak is included. Monitor kernel logs for related errors after applying updates.

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