CVE Catalog

CVE-2026-89880

HighCVSS 7.8
Published: Updated: Translated: NVD NIST

Summary

In the Linux kernel, the rtl2832_sdr driver's rtl2832_sdr_start_streaming() function failed to release previously allocated DMA buffers and URB structures when allocation or submission of URBs failed. This led to a DMA memory leak and an out-of-bounds read of urb_list[] on the next streaming attempt, potentially passing garbage pointers to usb_free_urb().

Risk Assessment

The vulnerability can cause kernel memory leaks and potential memory corruption or system crash (kernel panic) when streaming is repeatedly started on a DVB device based on rtl2832_sdr. It requires local access to the device but can be used to destabilize the system.

Recommendation

Update the Linux kernel to a version containing the fix that calls rtl2832_sdr_free_urbs() and rtl2832_sdr_free_stream_bufs() on the error path before unlocking the mutex. If updating is not possible, restrict access to rtl2832_sdr-based DVB devices to trusted users.

Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel

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Original NVD description (English source)

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: media: rtl2832_sdr: release URBs and stream buffers on start_streaming() failure rtl2832_sdr_start_streaming() calls rtl2832_sdr_alloc_stream_bufs(), rtl2832_sdr_alloc_urbs() and rtl2832_sdr_submit_urbs() in sequence and shares a single err: label that only unlocks the mutex and returns. When alloc_urbs() succeeds but submit_urbs() fails, or when alloc_urbs() itself returns -ENOMEM after alloc_stream_bufs() has already succeeded, the URBs and/or the coherent DMA stream buffers stay allocated while streaming reports failure to vb2. Two latent defects follow on the next VIDIOC_STREAMON: 1) rtl2832_sdr_alloc_stream_bufs() unconditionally resets dev->buf_num to 0 and overwrites dev->buf_list[]/dev->dma_addr[], permanently leaking the coherent DMA memory allocated by the previous attempt. 2) rtl2832_sdr_alloc_urbs() never resets dev->urbs_initialized and only increments it. After a second successful pass urbs_initialized can exceed MAX_BULK_BUFS, so the subsequent rtl2832_sdr_free_urbs() walks from urbs_initialized - 1 down to 0 and reads past the end of dev->urb_list[], passing garbage pointers to usb_free_urb(). Mirror the teardown that stop_streaming() already performs: on the error path call rtl2832_sdr_free_urbs() and rtl2832_sdr_free_stream_bufs() before unlocking. Both helpers are idempotent (free_urbs kills and zeros urbs_initialized; free_stream_bufs is gated on URB_BUF and clears the buf_num counter), so partial-failure paths and the no-allocation paths remain safe. Issue identified by automated review of the INV-003 series at https://sashiko.dev/

Vulnerability data from NVD (NIST) · CISA KEV · EPSS