VulnerabilityPublished 10 Aug 2026Updated 6 Nov 2026

CVE-2026-68180: Linux kernel · intel_th: fix MSC output device reference leak

Affects Linux kernelSource CVE Database V5

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Not known to be exploited · fixed in df55842fddbcdb80e6dd16680439c0f780ed592e : update Linux kernel when convenient.

Data as of 6 Nov 2026, 17:19 UTC

Severity

Low

Rated Low by Threat Radar's AI analysis · No CVSS score from NVD or the CNA

Thin evidence

One scorer or none

Exploitation: No evidence of active exploitation and no public proof of concept
Automatable: Attackers cannot reliably automate steps 1–4 of the kill chain
Technical impact: Limited control over the software or limited information exposure

CISA SSVC assessment, 2026-11-06.

Patch

Available – fixed in df55842fddbcdb80e6dd16680439c0f780ed592e, ddcf2064d7ec5a8c9afa7cb74442320e443502bc, caba30eb8bd321c465ecfc7d850ee85f5b353496 +11

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 10 Aug 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponized: 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 6 Nov 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.
Weaponized: A Metasploit exploit module or Exploit-DB entry exists (Metasploit scanner modules do not count), 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.

What to do

Upgrade to a fixed release listed under Affected software.

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
LinuxLinux	Affected >=5.10.249 <5.10.265 >=5.15.199 <5.15.216 >=6.1.162 <6.1.183 >=6.6.122 <6.6.148 >=6.12.68 <6.12.101 >=6.18.8 <6.18.42	Fixed in df55842fddbcdb80e6dd16680439c0f780ed592e ddcf2064d7ec5a8c9afa7cb74442320e443502bc caba30eb8bd321c465ecfc7d850ee85f5b353496 c3a28f9cb82425fe0835048ed3677f321e780691 141641a70ed337e54487f766ede745fc2ce44c42 761b785a0cfbce43761227bc42a7f984f31f8921 26e27b8dcef1e4df6f30d8f25b3304a506d482b3 12ad4fad748e6e563ff4480f03b89134a41b5c37 6.18.42 6.12.101 6.6.148 6.1.183 5.15.216 5.10.265
LinuxLinux	Affected =6.19	Fixed in–
Debiandebian/linux`pkg:deb/debian/linux`Other threats	Affected >=5.10.249 <5.10.265 >=5.15.199 <5.15.216 >=6.1.162 <6.1.183 >=6.6.122 <6.6.148 >=6.12.68 <6.12.101 >=6.18.8 <6.18.42 =6.19	Fixed in 5.10.265 5.15.216 6.1.183 6.6.148 6.12.101 6.18.42

Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.

AI-suggested

The vulnerability has been fixed in Linux kernel versions 5.10.265, 5.15.216, 6.1.183, 6.6.148, 6.12.101, and 6.18.42 and later. Users should upgrade to these fixed versions or later to remediate the issue. No additional mitigation steps are required.

Description

A device reference leak vulnerability was found and fixed in the Linux kernel's intel_th driver affecting MSC output devices. The issue occurs because the device reference obtained during output open is not properly released on close, leading to a resource leak.

Impact

The impact is a resource leak of device references in the kernel, which could lead to increased memory usage or resource exhaustion over time. There is no indication of direct security compromise or code execution from this leak.

Summary

The vulnerability in the Linux kernel's intel_th driver involves a reference leak for MSC output devices. The function intel_th_output_open() acquires a device reference via bus_find_device_by_devt(), which must be released after use. However, due to the replacement of file operations on open, the release path intel_th_output_release() is not called. Instead, the close operation calls intel_th_msc_release(), which previously did not drop the device reference, causing a leak on every successful MSC output open. The fix drops the device reference in intel_th_msc_release() and removes the unused intel_th_output_release() callback.

References

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 6 Nov 2026, 17:18 UTC

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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