CVE-2026-43328

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: cpufreq: governor: fix double free in cpufreq_dbs_governor_init() error path When kobject_init_and_add() fails, cpufreq_dbs_governor_init() calls kobject_put(&dbs_data->attr_set.kobj). The kobject release callback cpufreq_dbs_data_release() calls gov->exit(dbs_data) and kfree(dbs_data), but the current error path then calls gov->exit(dbs_data) and kfree(dbs_data) again, causing a double free. Keep the direct kfree(dbs_data) for the gov->init() failure path, but after kobject_init_and_add() has been called, let kobject_put() handle the cleanup through cpufreq_dbs_data_release().

CVSS Details

CVSS Score

7.8

Severity

HIGH

CVSS Vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Configurations (Affected Products)

cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* - VULNERABLE

Linux Kernel (Prior to stable commits 019ea28, 3bf9d02, 427d048, 56bc91e, 6dcf9d0)

PoC / Exploit Code

⚠ For Security Research Only

The following code is for security research and authorized testing only.

python

/*
 * Conceptual PoC illustrating the Double Free logic in cpufreq_dbs_governor_init
 * This is a simplified representation of the vulnerable code path.
 */

#include <linux/kobject.h>
#include <linux/slab.h>

// Mock structures for illustration
struct dbs_data {
    struct kobject kobj;
    // ... other fields ...
};

void vulnerable_function(struct dbs_data *dbs_data) {
    int ret;

    // Attempt to initialize and add kobject
    ret = kobject_init_and_add(&dbs_data->kobj, &ktype, NULL, "governor");

    if (ret) {
        // ERROR HANDLING PATH

        // 1. kobject_put triggers the release callback -> calls kfree(dbs_data)
        kobject_put(&dbs_data->kobj);

        // 2. The code then calls kfree again -> DOUBLE FREE
        kfree(dbs_data);

        return ret;
    }
    return 0;
}

References

[1] CVE.org https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-43328
[2] NVD NIST https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-43328
[3] CVE Details https://www.cvedetails.com/cve/CVE-2026-43328/
[4] VulDB https://vuldb.com/cve/CVE-2026-43328
[5] https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/019ea28629720c220daedf38107c8787f330dc05
[6] https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3bf9d023d2329a0e5379f2fd09d06ef09729cd9d
[7] https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/427d048e4f6acbfa01b5a8062449fe0ee8987c0d
[8] https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/56bc91ee78babe9578585a2bc137abc4b3115ff3
[9] https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6dcf9d0064ce2f3e3dfe5755f98b93abe6a98e1e
[10] https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d2703b4f8fb7cc6f0dfdb2dc2359cc46189e7357
[11] https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/da39ee627fd82b52068d4d5f115749a8b7d271f9

Raw JSON Data

JSON

{"cve": {"id": "CVE-2026-43328", "sourceIdentifier": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67", "published": "2026-05-08T14:16:42.397", "lastModified": "2026-05-18T12:43:45.277", "vulnStatus": "Analyzed", "cveTags": [], "descriptions": [{"lang": "en", "value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\ncpufreq: governor: fix double free in cpufreq_dbs_governor_init() error path\n\nWhen kobject_init_and_add() fails, cpufreq_dbs_governor_init() calls\nkobject_put(&dbs_data->attr_set.kobj).\n\nThe kobject release callback cpufreq_dbs_data_release() calls\ngov->exit(dbs_data) and kfree(dbs_data), but the current error path\nthen calls gov->exit(dbs_data) and kfree(dbs_data) again, causing a\ndouble free.\n\nKeep the direct kfree(dbs_data) for the gov->init() failure path, but\nafter kobject_init_and_add() has been called, let kobject_put() handle\nthe cleanup through cpufreq_dbs_data_release()."}], "metrics": {"cvssMetricV31": [{"source": "[email protected]", "type": "Primary", "cvssData": {"version": "3.1", "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H", "baseScore": 7.8, "baseSeverity": "HIGH", "attackVector": "LOCAL", "attackComplexity": "LOW", "privilegesRequired": "LOW", "userInteraction": "NONE", "scope": "UNCHANGED", "confidentialityImpact": "HIGH", "integrityImpact": "HIGH", "availabilityImpact": "HIGH"}, "exploitabilityScore": 1.8, "impactScore": 5.9}]}, "weaknesses": [{"source": "[email protected]", "type": "Primary", "description": [{"lang": "en", "value": "CWE-415"}]}], "configurations": [{"nodes": [{"operator": "OR", "negate": false, "cpeMatch": [{"vulnerable": true, "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*", "versionStartIncluding": "5.2", "versionEndExcluding": "5.10.253", "matchCriteriaId": "C3D51ED9-EA30-4B3D-849A-76A8B14B442E"}, {"vulnerable": true, "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*", "versionStartIncluding": "5.11", "versionEndExcluding": "6.1.168", "matchCriteriaId": "D56FB7B6-F765-4875-AF39-A6EBC6F5CD4C"}, {"vulnerable": true, "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*", "versionStartIncluding": "6.2", "versionEndExcluding": "6.6.134", "matchCriteriaId": "F56F925B-BAF8-4F4B-B62F-1496AF19A307"}, {"vulnerable": true, "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*", "versionStartIncluding": "6.7", "versionEndExcluding": "6.12.81", "matchCriteriaId": "6EF80433-B33B-43C5-8E64-0FA7B8DCE1BC"}, {"vulnerable": true, "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*", "versionStartIncluding": "6.13", "versionEndExcluding": "6.18.22", "matchCriteriaId": "C9DF8BCE-36D3-475D-9D21-19E4F02F9029"}, {"vulnerable": true, "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*", "versionStartIncluding": "6.19", "versionEndExcluding": "6.19.12", "matchCriteriaId": "0A2B9540-02D5-41B4-B16A-82AF66FD4F36"}, {"vulnerable": true, "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.1.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*", "matchCriteriaId": "E0B7D43E-3632-4F0C-9719-99E6F5752967"}, {"vulnerable": true, "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*", "matchCriteriaId": "F253B622-8837-4245-BCE5-A7BF8FC76A16"}, {"vulnerable": true, "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*", "matchCriteriaId": "4AE85AD8-4641-4E7C-A2F4-305E2CD9EE64"}, {"vulnerable": true, "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*", "matchCriteriaId": "F666C8D8-6538-46D4-B318-87610DE64C34"}, {"vulnerable": true, "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:*", "matchCriteriaId": "02259FDA-961B-47BC-AE7F-93D7EC6E90C2"}, {"vulnerable": true, "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:*", "matchCriteriaId": "58A9FEFF-C040-420D-8F0A-BFDAAA1DF258"}, {"vulnerable": true, "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc6:*:*:*:*:*:*", "matchCriteriaId": "1D2315C0-D46F-4F85-9754-F9E5E11374A6"}]}]}], "references": [{"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/019ea28629720c220daedf38107c8787f330dc05", "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67", "tags": ["Patch"]}, {"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3bf9d023d2329a0e5379f2fd09d06ef09729cd9d", "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67", "tags": ["Patch"]}, {"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/427d048e4f6acbfa01b5a8062449fe0ee8987c0d", "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67", "tags": ["Patch"]}, {"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/56bc91ee78babe9578585a2bc137abc4b3115ff3", "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67", "tags": ["Patch"]}, {"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6dcf9d0064ce2f3e3dfe5755f98b93abe6a98e1e", "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67", "tags": ["Patch"]}, {"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d2703b4f8fb7cc6f0dfdb2dc2359cc46189e7357", "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67", "tags": ["Patch"]}, {"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/da39ee627fd82b52068d4d5f115749a8b7d271f9", "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67", "tags": ["Patch"]}]}}