VulnerabilityPublished 25 Jul 2026Updated 31 Jul 2026

CVE-2026-64498: Linux kernel · iio: buffer: hw-consumer: free scan_mask on buffer release

Affects Linux kernelSource GCVE Database

Not known to be exploited.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 13:47 UTC

Severity

Medium

Rated by Threat Radar · No CVSS score from NVD or the CNA

EPSS: 0.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 9% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 25 Jul 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC or the CVSS exploit maturity reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

ghsa-vmjp-jvmv-9wwr

What to do

AI-suggested

A fix has been implemented in the Linux kernel source code to free the scan_mask bitmap on buffer release. Users should update to the fixed kernel version once available. Patch status is not explicitly confirmed in the provided data; users should consult the official Linux kernel advisories or repositories for the patch and apply it accordingly.

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: iio: buffer: hw-consumer: free scan_mask on buffer release The scan_mask lifetime changed in commit 9a2e1233d38c ("iio: buffer: hw-consumer: remove redundant scan_mask flexible array"). Before that change, the scan mask storage was embedded in struct hw_consumer_buffer, so iio_hw_buf_release() could free the whole allocation with a single kfree(hw_buf). That commit moved the scan mask to a separate bitmap_zalloc() allocation stored in buffer.scan_mask, but left iio_hw_buf_release() unchanged. Free the scan mask in iio_hw_buf_release() before freeing the buffer wrapper.

Impact

Improper freeing of the scan_mask bitmap could lead to kernel memory corruption or leaks, potentially destabilizing the system or causing denial of service. No known exploits are reported in the wild. The vulnerability affects kernel stability and security but does not have a reported CVSS score or documented exploitation impact.

Summary

The vulnerability (CVE-2026-64498) in the Linux kernel's IIO subsystem involves improper memory management of the scan_mask bitmap in the hw-consumer buffer. A prior commit separated scan_mask into its own allocation, but the buffer release function (iio_hw_buf_release) did not free this allocation, causing a potential use-after-free or memory leak. The fix involves explicitly freeing the scan_mask bitmap before freeing the buffer wrapper, ensuring proper cleanup.

References

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 25 Jul 2026, 23:12 UTC

Technical details

References

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