CVE-2026-72396
Received Received - Intake

Uninitialized Memory Read in Linux Kernel hwmon

Vulnerability report for CVE-2026-72396, including description, CVSS score, EPSS score, affected products, exploitability, helpful resources, and attack-flow context.

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: hwmon: adm1275: Prevent reading uninitialized stack While adding support for the ROHM BD127X0 hot-swap controllers, sashiko reported an error in device-name comparison, which can lead to reading uninitialized stack memory. Quoting Sashiko: This is a pre-existing issue, but I noticed that just before this block in adm1275_probe(), there might be an out-of-bounds stack read: ret = i2c_smbus_read_block_data(client, PMBUS_MFR_MODEL, block_buffer); if (ret < 0) { ... } for (mid = adm1275_id; mid->name[0]; mid++) { if (!strncasecmp(mid->name, block_buffer, strlen(mid->name))) break; } Since i2c_smbus_read_block_data() reads up to 32 bytes into the uninitialized stack array block_buffer without appending a null terminator, strncasecmp() could read past the valid bytes returned in ret. For example, if the device returns a shorter string like "adm12", checking it against "adm1275" up to the length of "adm1275" will continue reading into uninitialized stack bounds. Prevent reading uninitialized memory by zeroing the stack array.

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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
EUVD

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
linux_kernel adm1275 *

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

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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 hwmon: adm1275 driver where uninitialized stack memory could be read. The issue occurs when reading device names using i2c_smbus_read_block_data(), which does not null-terminate the data. This allows strncasecmp() to read past valid bytes into uninitialized stack memory during device-name comparison.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to the Linux kernel's hwmon subsystem, particularly the adm1275 driver. Detection requires checking if your system is running a vulnerable kernel version. Use commands like 'uname -a' to check the kernel version and 'modinfo adm1275' to verify if the driver is loaded. If the driver is loaded and the kernel version is affected, the system may be vulnerable.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability could allow an attacker with local access to read sensitive data from the kernel stack, potentially exposing confidential information. It may also lead to system instability or crashes if uninitialized memory is accessed improperly.

Mitigation Strategies

Update your Linux kernel to the latest stable version where this vulnerability has been patched. If updating is not immediately possible, consider disabling the adm1275 driver module if it is not required. Monitor vendor advisories for kernel updates and apply them promptly.

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