CVE-2026-68227 in Linux
Summary
by MITRE • 08/10/2026
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
media: cx231xx: fix devres lifetime
USB drivers bind to USB interfaces and any device managed resources should have their lifetime tied to the interface rather than parent USB device. This avoids issues like memory leaks when drivers are unbound without their devices being physically disconnected (e.g. on probe deferral or configuration changes).
Fix the driver state lifetime so that it is released on driver unbind.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/10/2026
The vulnerability in question relates to improper resource management within the linux kernel's cx231xx media driver which controls usb video capture devices. This issue stems from incorrect device resource lifetime handling where driver state resources are associated with the parent usb device instead of the specific usb interface they belong to. The cx231xx driver is responsible for controlling various usb video capture devices including tv tuners and webcams that utilize the conexant cx231xx chipset. When usb drivers bind to usb interfaces, proper resource management requires that any device managed resources maintain their lifetime tied to the specific interface rather than the parent usb device itself.
The technical flaw manifests when drivers are unbound from usb interfaces without complete physical disconnection of the devices. Under normal circumstances, when a driver is unloaded or reconfigured, it should properly release all associated resources that were allocated during the binding process. However, due to the improper lifetime management in this driver, resources remain allocated even after the driver has been unbound, leading to memory leaks and potential system instability. This occurs specifically during probe deferral scenarios where the kernel attempts to defer device probe operations or during configuration changes when usb devices are reconfigured without being physically removed from the system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple memory consumption issues as it can lead to resource exhaustion over time, particularly in systems with frequent driver unbinding and rebinding operations. Systems that frequently handle hotplugging events, device reconfiguration, or those running multiple usb video capture devices are especially vulnerable to accumulating these unreleased resources. The memory leaks can eventually degrade system performance and may cause the kernel to become unstable under sustained load conditions where numerous driver binding/unbinding cycles occur. Additionally, this improper resource management could potentially create security implications if the leaked resources contain sensitive data or if the accumulation of resources leads to denial of service conditions.
The fix implemented addresses this issue by ensuring that driver state lifetime is properly managed so that resources are released upon driver unbind operations rather than remaining tied to the parent usb device. This change aligns with established best practices for usb driver development where interface-specific resources should maintain their lifecycle tied to the specific usb interface they were allocated for. The solution involves modifying the driver's resource management code to properly register and unregister device resources with the correct scope, ensuring that when a driver unbinds from a usb interface, all associated resources are properly freed rather than left dangling in memory.
This vulnerability type maps directly to CWE-404, which describes improper resource management where resources are not properly released or cleaned up upon program termination or state changes. The fix also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1562.001, which covers "Impairing Security Tools" as improper resource management can lead to system instability that may interfere with security monitoring capabilities. Furthermore, the issue demonstrates poor adherence to the Linux kernel's usb subsystem design principles where proper device resource lifetime management is essential for maintaining system stability and preventing resource exhaustion attacks. The fix ultimately ensures compliance with established kernel development practices regarding proper device resource lifecycle management within the usb framework.
The resolution of this vulnerability prevents potential memory leaks that could accumulate over time during normal system operations involving usb device management and reconfiguration scenarios, thereby improving overall system reliability and preventing resource exhaustion conditions that might otherwise impact system performance or stability.