CVE-2026-68416: Linux kernel · mtd: fix double free and WARN_ON in add_mtd_device() error paths
Source GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited · fixed in ffe21a3545b439e7b11578a701c22a847c149561 : update Linux kernel when convenient.
Data as of 30 Oct 2026, 16:33 UTC
Rated by Threat Radar · CVSS not yet scored by NVD
Thin evidence
One scorer or none- Patch
- Available – fixed in ffe21a3545b439e7b11578a701c22a847c149561, f98ae09c727dcf34f745c875661c64b642e4abfa, e1e96aca1bdf391e2f49531c270ffc134e5b49a5 +4
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 30 Oct 2026.
What to do
Upgrade to a fixed release listed under Affected software.
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| LinuxLinux | Affected
| Fixed in
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| LinuxLinux | Affected
| Fixed in
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| LinuxLinux | Affected
| Fixed in
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| LinuxLinux | Affected
| Fixed in
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| LinuxLinux | Affected
| Fixed in
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| LinuxLinux | Affected
| Fixed in
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Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mtd: fix double free and WARN_ON in add_mtd_device() error paths When device_register() or mtd_nvmem_add() fails inside add_mtd_device() for a partition, the error handling triggers mtd_release() via put_device() or device_unregister(). mtd_release() calls release_mtd_partition() which frees the mtd_info structure. However, callers such as mtd_add_partition() and add_mtd_partitions() also call free_partition() in their error paths, resulting in a double free. Additionally, release_mtd_partition() hits WARN_ON(!list_empty( &mtd->part.node)) because the partition node is still linked in the parent's partitions list when the release callback fires from the add_mtd_device() error path. Fix this by overriding dev->type and dev->release before put_device() in the error paths, so that device_release() invokes a no-op function instead of mtd_release(). For the mtd_nvmem_add() failure case, device_unregister() is replaced with device_del() to separate the device removal from the final kobject reference drop, allowing the override to take effect before put_device() is called. The callers' error paths (list_del + free_partition) remain the sole owners of mtd_info lifetime on add_mtd_device() failure, which is the expected contract. The normal partition teardown path is not affected: del_mtd_device() goes through kref_put() -> mtd_device_release() -> device_unregister() with dev->type still set to &mtd_devtype, so mtd_release() -> release_mtd_partition() continues to work correctly for the regular removal case.
References
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-68416 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/1dfe90daee6080b088b65620ff690a56f59ddea2 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/820f983d641937a787e841ee4b93501f69f5683e (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/9d4af746af8ce27eefc2338b2feaa1e01f28b6c3 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/b1f78dc4a6869e30ff64345a5d3e7da1b6da0061 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/e1e96aca1bdf391e2f49531c270ffc134e5b49a5 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/f98ae09c727dcf34f745c875661c64b642e4abfa (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/ffe21a3545b439e7b11578a701c22a847c149561 (opens in a new tab)