CVE-2026-72144 (GCVE-0-2026-72144)
Vulnerability from cvelistv5
Published
2026-08-15 05:53
Modified
2026-08-17 05:40
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: platform/x86: dell-laptop: fix missing cleanups in init error path dell_init() initializes several resources after dell_setup_rfkill(), including the optional touchpad LED, keyboard backlight LED, battery hook, debugfs directory and dell-laptop notifier. If a later LED or backlight registration fails, the error path only tears down the battery hook and rfkill resources. This leaves the notifier, debugfs directory, keyboard backlight LED and optional touchpad LED registered after dell_init() returns an error. Add the missing cleanup calls before tearing down rfkill.
Impacted products
Vendor Product Version
Linux Linux Version: 037accfa14b28ecf49d9060063929c4b4cde373f
Version: 037accfa14b28ecf49d9060063929c4b4cde373f
Version: 037accfa14b28ecf49d9060063929c4b4cde373f
Version: 037accfa14b28ecf49d9060063929c4b4cde373f
Version: 037accfa14b28ecf49d9060063929c4b4cde373f
Create a notification for this product.
Show details on NVD website


{
  "containers": {
    "cna": {
      "affected": [
        {
          "defaultStatus": "unaffected",
          "product": "Linux",
          "programFiles": [
            "drivers/platform/x86/dell/dell-laptop.c"
          ],
          "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
          "vendor": "Linux",
          "versions": [
            {
              "lessThan": "e4908b3bed755f73870416b971e162a8d0ef0aef",
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "037accfa14b28ecf49d9060063929c4b4cde373f",
              "versionType": "git"
            },
            {
              "lessThan": "6bd76d5421a72d2526c9be8f01f55bee960f899f",
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "037accfa14b28ecf49d9060063929c4b4cde373f",
              "versionType": "git"
            },
            {
              "lessThan": "1e41ca4a7fba2e680d6950e9511245255fffa46c",
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "037accfa14b28ecf49d9060063929c4b4cde373f",
              "versionType": "git"
            },
            {
              "lessThan": "b351e082711d12f075a36a6cd67709693689315f",
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "037accfa14b28ecf49d9060063929c4b4cde373f",
              "versionType": "git"
            },
            {
              "lessThan": "6e9cab2247e5b243ae2d907ce7c948a8a9c8d61a",
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "037accfa14b28ecf49d9060063929c4b4cde373f",
              "versionType": "git"
            }
          ]
        },
        {
          "defaultStatus": "affected",
          "product": "Linux",
          "programFiles": [
            "drivers/platform/x86/dell/dell-laptop.c"
          ],
          "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
          "vendor": "Linux",
          "versions": [
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "2.6.37"
            },
            {
              "lessThan": "2.6.37",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "0",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "lessThanOrEqual": "6.6.*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "6.6.148",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "lessThanOrEqual": "6.12.*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "6.12.97",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "lessThanOrEqual": "6.18.*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "6.18.40",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "lessThanOrEqual": "7.1.*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "7.1.5",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "lessThanOrEqual": "*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "7.2",
              "versionType": "original_commit_for_fix"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "cpeApplicability": [
        {
          "nodes": [
            {
              "cpeMatch": [
                {
                  "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                  "versionEndExcluding": "6.6.148",
                  "versionStartIncluding": "2.6.37",
                  "vulnerable": true
                },
                {
                  "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                  "versionEndExcluding": "6.12.97",
                  "versionStartIncluding": "2.6.37",
                  "vulnerable": true
                },
                {
                  "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                  "versionEndExcluding": "6.18.40",
                  "versionStartIncluding": "2.6.37",
                  "vulnerable": true
                },
                {
                  "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                  "versionEndExcluding": "7.1.5",
                  "versionStartIncluding": "2.6.37",
                  "vulnerable": true
                },
                {
                  "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                  "versionEndExcluding": "7.2",
                  "versionStartIncluding": "2.6.37",
                  "vulnerable": true
                }
              ],
              "negate": false,
              "operator": "OR"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "descriptions": [
        {
          "lang": "en",
          "value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nplatform/x86: dell-laptop: fix missing cleanups in init error path\n\ndell_init() initializes several resources after dell_setup_rfkill(),\nincluding the optional touchpad LED, keyboard backlight LED, battery\nhook, debugfs directory and dell-laptop notifier.\n\nIf a later LED or backlight registration fails, the error path only\ntears down the battery hook and rfkill resources. This leaves the\nnotifier, debugfs directory, keyboard backlight LED and optional\ntouchpad LED registered after dell_init() returns an error.\n\nAdd the missing cleanup calls before tearing down rfkill."
        }
      ],
      "metrics": [
        {
          "cvssV3_1": {
            "baseScore": 7.8,
            "baseSeverity": "HIGH",
            "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
            "version": "3.1"
          },
          "scenarios": [
            {
              "lang": "en",
              "value": "AV:L - The flaw is only reachable on affected Dell laptops through local kernel interfaces\u2014late_initcall dell_init() and, after the broken teardown, orphaned sysfs LED nodes, debugfs files, and Dell WMI keyboard-backlight notifier callbacks. There is no network, Bluetooth, or remote protocol path into dell-laptop.c.\nAC:L - On Dell hardware where micmute/mute/backlight registration or dell_get_intensity() fails after earlier setup succeeds, dell_init() deterministically enters the incomplete fail_led path; subsequent notifier delivery or sysfs access to the still-registered LED/debugfs objects reliably exercises freed platform_device state without races.\nPR:L - Exploitation requires only a local session on the Dell system: world-readable LED sysfs attributes (DEVICE_ATTR_RW brightness) and Dell WMI KEY_KBDILLUMTOGGLE events invoke the dangling notifier/LED callbacks without CAP_SYS_ADMIN, real root, or user-namespace capabilities.\nUI:N - After boot leaves the partial-init state, a local attacker triggers the bug themselves by reading/writing orphaned /sys/class/leds entries or generating keyboard-backlight WMI events; no separate victim action, administrator approval, or privileged helper is required.\nS:U - The use-after-free and heap corruption occur entirely within the host kernel\u0027s memory and security authority on the same Dell machine; this is a standard local kernel compromise path without VM escape, IOMMU bypass, or sandbox-boundary crossing.\nC:H - platform_device_del() runs while keyboard/touchpad LED classdevs and the dell_laptop notifier remain registered against the freed platform device, creating a use-after-free whose sysfs/WMI callbacks can read adjacent slab contents and disclose kernel memory to userspace.\nI:H - Orphaned led_classdev and notifier objects parented to the deleted platform_device let attacker-influenced brightness/WMI activity drive callbacks and sysfs notifications on freed device structures, enabling heap grooming and arbitrary kernel writes suitable for control-flow hijacking.\nA:H - Dereferencing the dangling platform_device/LED device objects from notifier callbacks or sysfs brightness operations reliably provokes kernel oops/panic on affected Dell laptops, and the underlying use-after-free can crash the system even when full exploitation is not attempted."
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "providerMetadata": {
        "dateUpdated": "2026-08-17T05:40:53.644Z",
        "orgId": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
        "shortName": "Linux"
      },
      "references": [
        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e4908b3bed755f73870416b971e162a8d0ef0aef"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6bd76d5421a72d2526c9be8f01f55bee960f899f"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1e41ca4a7fba2e680d6950e9511245255fffa46c"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b351e082711d12f075a36a6cd67709693689315f"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6e9cab2247e5b243ae2d907ce7c948a8a9c8d61a"
        }
      ],
      "title": "platform/x86: dell-laptop: fix missing cleanups in init error path",
      "x_generator": {
        "engine": "bippy-1.2.0"
      }
    }
  },
  "cveMetadata": {
    "assignerOrgId": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
    "assignerShortName": "Linux",
    "cveId": "CVE-2026-72144",
    "datePublished": "2026-08-15T05:53:16.974Z",
    "dateReserved": "2026-08-09T03:40:39.908Z",
    "dateUpdated": "2026-08-17T05:40:53.644Z",
    "state": "PUBLISHED"
  },
  "dataType": "CVE_RECORD",
  "dataVersion": "5.2"
}


Log in or create an account to share your comment.




Tags
Taxonomy of the tags.


Loading…

Loading…

Loading…

Sightings

Author Source Type Date

Nomenclature

  • Seen: The vulnerability was mentioned, discussed, or seen somewhere by the user.
  • Confirmed: The vulnerability is confirmed from an analyst perspective.
  • Published Proof of Concept: A public proof of concept is available for this vulnerability.
  • Exploited: This vulnerability was exploited and seen by the user reporting the sighting.
  • Patched: This vulnerability was successfully patched by the user reporting the sighting.
  • Not exploited: This vulnerability was not exploited or seen by the user reporting the sighting.
  • Not confirmed: The user expresses doubt about the veracity of the vulnerability.
  • Not patched: This vulnerability was not successfully patched by the user reporting the sighting.


Loading…

Loading…