CVE-2026-53384
CriticalCVSS 9.8Exploitation Probability (EPSS)
Low risk39th percentile - higher than 39% of all known CVEs
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the 8250_dw driver has a vulnerability where if clk_notifier_register() fails, the 8250 port remains registered while driver data is freed, leading to a use-after-free hazard on subsequent port access before rebind.
Risk Assessment
The risk involves a use-after-free condition that could cause unpredictable system behavior, potentially leading to privilege escalation or system crash.
Recommendation
Immediately update the Linux kernel to a version containing the fix that unregisters the 8250 port on the clk_notifier_register() error path.
Original NVD description (English source)
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: serial: 8250_dw: unregister 8250 port if clk_notifier_register() fails dw8250_probe() registers the 8250 port via serial8250_register_8250_port() and then, if the device has a clock, registers a clock notifier. If clk_notifier_register() fails, probe returns the error but leaves the 8250 port registered. The matching serial8250_unregister_port() lives in dw8250_remove(), which is not called when probe fails, so the port slot stays occupied until the device is rebound or the system is rebooted. The devm-allocated driver data is freed while the port still references it (via the saved private_data and serial_in/serial_out callbacks), so any access to that port slot before a rebind is a use-after-free hazard. Unregister the port on the clk_notifier_register() error path.