CVE-2026-68359 in Linux
Summary
by MITRE • 08/10/2026
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
hwmon: (nzxt-smart2) Stop device IO before calling hid_hw_stop
Calling hid_hw_stop() does not stop the device IO. This results in a race condition between hid_input_report() and the point immediately following the execution of hid_device_io_start() within the driver probe function. If the probe operation fails after "io start" has been initiated, this race condition will result in a UAF vulnerability.
Fix the problem by calling hid_device_io_stop() before calling hid_hw_stop().
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/10/2026
The vulnerability resides within the Linux kernel's hardware monitoring subsystem, specifically affecting the nzxt-smart2 driver implementation. This issue demonstrates a classic race condition scenario that can lead to critical memory safety violations. The flaw occurs during device initialization when the driver probe function executes a sequence of operations involving hardware input/output management through the HID (Human Interface Device) framework.
The technical root cause involves improper ordering of device I/O management functions within the driver's probe routine. When the driver attempts to initialize the nzxt-smart2 hardware monitor device, it calls hid_device_io_start() to begin device I/O operations before executing hid_hw_stop(). The fundamental problem is that hid_hw_stop() does not actually halt ongoing device I/O operations, creating a window where the device may continue processing input reports even after the driver has attempted to shut down the hardware interface. This asynchronous behavior between the I/O start and stop operations creates an exploitable race condition.
The operational impact of this vulnerability manifests as a use-after-free condition that can be exploited by malicious actors with local privileges. When the probe operation fails or encounters an error condition after hid_device_io_start() has been called, the race condition allows hid_input_report() to continue executing and potentially access memory that has been freed or reallocated during the cleanup process. This scenario directly violates the principles of memory safety and can result in arbitrary code execution or system crashes.
This vulnerability maps to CWE-416, which specifically addresses use-after-free conditions in software systems, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers local privilege escalation through kernel vulnerabilities. The fix implementation requires calling hid_device_io_stop() before invoking hid_hw_stop(), ensuring proper synchronization between the device I/O management functions. This approach prevents the race condition by guaranteeing that all pending I/O operations are properly terminated before attempting to shut down the hardware interface. The solution follows established security practices for managing hardware device lifecycle operations and aligns with kernel security best practices for preventing concurrent access violations in device driver code.
The remediation addresses a fundamental flaw in the driver's resource management approach by enforcing proper ordering of I/O operations, thereby eliminating the window where device input reports could be processed after the driver has initiated shutdown procedures. This fix ensures that all hardware monitoring operations are properly terminated before any cleanup functions are executed, preventing the memory safety violations that could otherwise occur during error conditions or device initialization failures.