CVE-2026-80712
Received Received - Intake

Incorrect SPI-NAND Feature Write Order in Qualcomm SPI Controller

Vulnerability report for CVE-2026-80712, including description, CVSS score, EPSS score, affected products, exploitability, helpful resources, and attack-flow context.

Publication date: 2026-08-28

Last updated on: 2026-08-29

Assigner: kernel.org

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: spi: spi-qpic-snand: write the feature value before executing SET_FEATURE qcom_spi_send_cmdaddr() programs NAND_FLASH_CMD/NAND_EXEC_CMD and submits the descriptors, which makes the controller execute the command immediately. For SPINAND_SET_FEATURE the value to be written is only placed into NAND_FLASH_FEATURES afterwards, by qcom_spi_io_op(), in a second submission - so the chip is programmed with whatever that register happened to hold from a previous operation, and the intended value is only applied by the *next* SET_FEATURE. Measured on a TP-Link Archer AX55 v1 (IPQ5018, ESMT F50L1G41LB): writing 0x40 to the configuration register (0xb0) leaves the chip at 0x00, and the subsequent write of 0x00 leaves it at 0x40 - every write lands one operation late. This stayed unnoticed until v6.18 added SPI-NAND OTP support together with OTP entries for ESMT chips. spinand_otp_rw() enables OTP mode, reads, and disables it again, and mtd_otp_nvmem_add() does this during MTD registration. With the off-by-one, the "disable" write actually applies the previously requested value, so CFG_OTP_ENABLE ends up set: the chip stays in OTP mode, every subsequent array read returns the OTP area instead of the array (UBI reports an empty device) and all writes fail with -EIO because the OTP area is write protected. On this board that makes the whole flash unusable and the device unbootable. Write the feature value into NAND_FLASH_FEATURES as part of the same transaction, before NAND_EXEC_CMD. While at it, copy only the bytes the operation actually carries - the previous code dereferenced a 4-byte pointer on a one-byte buffer (spinand->scratchbuf). With this patch the flash contents read back bit-identical to a known-good dump of the same board taken under the vendor firmware (md5-verified across partitions), and writes work.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-08-28
Last Modified
2026-08-29
Generated
2026-09-17
AI Q&A
2026-08-28
EPSS Evaluated
2026-09-15
NVD
EUVD

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
tp-link archer_ax55 v6.18

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

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CWE ID Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

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Executive Summary

This is a Linux kernel vulnerability in the SPI-NAND controller driver (spi-qpic-snand). The issue occurs when setting features on a SPI NAND flash chip. The feature value is written after the command execution, causing the chip to use a stale value from a previous operation. This leads to incorrect configuration, such as enabling OTP mode unintentionally, which makes the flash unreadable and the device unbootable.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability affects SPI-NAND flash operations in the Linux kernel, specifically when using spi-qpic-snand. Detection requires checking kernel logs for SPI-NAND related errors or examining flash behavior during MTD registration. Look for OTP mode issues or failed writes reported by UBI.

Impact Analysis

If exploited, this vulnerability can cause the SPI NAND flash to become unusable. The device may fail to boot, and all subsequent reads or writes to the flash will fail. This results in data loss or system instability, particularly on affected devices like the TP-Link Archer AX55 v1.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability does not directly affect compliance with standards like GDPR or HIPAA as it pertains to a hardware-level issue in the Linux kernel's SPI-NAND driver. However, if exploited, it could lead to unauthorized data access or corruption on affected devices, potentially violating data integrity and availability principles in regulated environments.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the kernel patch that ensures feature values are written before command execution. Update to a kernel version containing the fix (v6.18 or later with the patch applied). Avoid enabling OTP mode unless necessary.

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