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CVE-2026-72144 (GCVE-0-2026-72144)

Vulnerability from cvelistv5 – Published: 2026-08-15 05:53 – Updated: 2026-08-17 05:40
VLAI
Title
platform/x86: dell-laptop: fix missing cleanups in init error path
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.
Severity
7.8 (High)
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Assigner
References
Impacted products
Vendor Product Version CPE status
Linux Linux Affected: 037accfa14b28ecf49d9060063929c4b4cde373f , < e4908b3bed755f73870416b971e162a8d0ef0aef (git)
Affected: 037accfa14b28ecf49d9060063929c4b4cde373f , < 6bd76d5421a72d2526c9be8f01f55bee960f899f (git)
Affected: 037accfa14b28ecf49d9060063929c4b4cde373f , < 1e41ca4a7fba2e680d6950e9511245255fffa46c (git)
Affected: 037accfa14b28ecf49d9060063929c4b4cde373f , < b351e082711d12f075a36a6cd67709693689315f (git)
Affected: 037accfa14b28ecf49d9060063929c4b4cde373f , < 6e9cab2247e5b243ae2d907ce7c948a8a9c8d61a (git)
guessed Create a notification for this product.
Linux Linux Affected: 2.6.37
Unaffected: 0 , < 2.6.37 (semver)
Unaffected: 6.6.148 , ≤ 6.6.* (semver)
Unaffected: 6.12.97 , ≤ 6.12.* (semver)
Unaffected: 6.18.40 , ≤ 6.18.* (semver)
Unaffected: 7.1.5 , ≤ 7.1.* (semver)
Unaffected: 7.2 , ≤ * (original_commit_for_fix)
guessed Create a notification for this product.
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{
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          "product": "Linux",
          "programFiles": [
            "drivers/platform/x86/dell/dell-laptop.c"
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          "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."
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            "baseSeverity": "HIGH",
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              "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."
            }
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        "dateUpdated": "2026-08-17T05:40:53.644Z",
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        "shortName": "Linux"
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    "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"
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    "redhat_vex": {
      "aggregate_severity": "Moderate",
      "current_release_date": "2026-08-18T12:43:04+00:00",
      "cve": "CVE-2026-72144",
      "id": "CVE-2026-72144",
      "initial_release_date": "2026-08-15T00:00:00+00:00",
      "product_status:known_affected": "184",
      "product_status:known_not_affected": "90",
      "source": "Red Hat CSAF VEX",
      "status": "final",
      "title": "kernel: platform/x86: dell-laptop: fix missing cleanups in init error path",
      "url": "https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-72144.json",
      "version": "3"
    },
    "suse_vex": {
      "aggregate_severity": "moderate",
      "current_release_date": "2026-08-31T13:30:14Z",
      "cve": "CVE-2026-72144",
      "id": "CVE-2026-72144",
      "initial_release_date": "2026-08-31T13:30:14Z",
      "product_status:known_affected": "321",
      "product_status:known_not_affected": "41",
      "source": "SUSE CSAF VEX",
      "status": "interim",
      "title": "SUSE CVE CVE-2026-72144",
      "url": "https://ftp.suse.com/pub/projects/security/csaf-vex/cve-2026-72144.json",
      "version": "2"
    }
  }
}



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Forecast uses a logistic model when the trend is rising, or an exponential decay model when the trend is falling. Fitted via linearized least squares.

Sightings

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Nomenclature

  • Seen: The vulnerability was mentioned, discussed, or observed by the user.
  • Confirmed: The vulnerability has been validated from an analyst's perspective.
  • Published Proof of Concept: A public proof of concept is available for this vulnerability.
  • Exploited: The vulnerability was observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
  • Patched: The vulnerability was observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.
  • Not exploited: The vulnerability was not observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
  • Not confirmed: The user expressed doubt about the validity of the vulnerability.
  • Not patched: The vulnerability was not observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.


Detection rules are retrieved from Rulezet.