CVE-2026-98218
Received Received - Intake

Use-After-Free in Linux Kernel I2C ATR Driver

Publication date: 2026-10-06

Last updated on: 2026-10-06

Assigner: kernel.org

Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: i2c: atr: fix dangling adapter pointer on add failure i2c_atr_add_adapter() stores atr->adapter[chan_id] before i2c_add_adapter() so that the I2C bus notifier can match child clients during registration. On failure the channel is freed but the slot was left pointing at freed memory, which can lead to use-after-free in i2c_atr_del_adapter() / cleanup and also block reuse with -EEXIST. Clear the slot on the i2c_add_adapter() error path before freeing chan.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-10-06
Last Modified
2026-10-06
Generated
2026-10-06
AI Q&A
2026-10-06
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-98218
EUVD
EUVD-2026-93146

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 6 associated CPEs
Vendor Product Version / Range
Linux Linux a076a860acae77bbdcbd316541e5552e81fb1772
Linux Linux a076a860acae77bbdcbd316541e5552e81fb1772
Linux Linux a076a860acae77bbdcbd316541e5552e81fb1772
Linux Linux a076a860acae77bbdcbd316541e5552e81fb1772
Linux Linux a076a860acae77bbdcbd316541e5552e81fb1772
Linux Linux 6.6

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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 is in the Linux kernel's I2C ATR (Address Translator) module. It occurs when adding an I2C adapter fails after storing a pointer to the adapter in memory. The stored pointer becomes a dangling reference to freed memory, which can lead to use-after-free errors during cleanup or when reusing the adapter slot.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to the Linux kernel's I2C ATR (Address Translator) module. Detection requires checking the kernel version and examining the I2C ATR driver code for the described issue. No direct network detection commands exist. Use uname -a to check kernel version and grep for i2c_atr in kernel logs or driver code.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability could allow an attacker with local access to cause a denial of service or potentially execute arbitrary code in the kernel by triggering the use-after-free condition. It may also lead to system instability or crashes.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the latest kernel update from your Linux distribution to patch the I2C ATR flaw. If no patch is available, disable the I2C ATR module by blacklisting it in the kernel. Monitor vendor advisories for updates and test changes in a non-production environment first.

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