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CVE-2026-72144
platform/x86: dell-laptop: fix missing cleanups in init error path
Published 2026-08-15 (2 months ago) by the Linux kernel CNA. Subsystem drivers/platform. Debian urgency: not yet assigned.
What to do, per Debian release
Debian's own status for CVE-2026-72144 in every release this site tracks, and what each one means in practice. Every status below is the one the Debian Security Team publishes for this CVE. source
| Release | Status | Version | What this means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 12bookworm | vulnerable | 6.1.190-1 | No fix published anywhere yet, neither in Debian nor upstream for the series bookworm tracks. Watch the Debian tracker page for this CVE. Advisories for bookworm have historically landed a median of 23 days after publication. |
| Debian 13trixie | fixed | 6.12.100-1 | Update the kernel and reboot. Fixed in 6.12.100-1. A running kernel keeps the old code until the machine restarts. |
| Debian 14forky | fixed | 7.1.5-1 | Update the kernel and reboot. Fixed in 7.1.5-1. A running kernel keeps the old code until the machine restarts. |
| Debian unstablesid | fixed | 7.1.5-1 | Update the kernel and reboot. Fixed in 7.1.5-1. A running kernel keeps the old code until the machine restarts. |
The vulnerability
What the bug is
dell_init() initializes several resources after dell_setup_rfkill(), including the optional touchpad LED, keyboard backlight LED, battery hook, debugfs directory and dell-laptop notifier. If a later LED or backlight registration fails, the error path only tears down the battery hook and rfkill resources. This leaves the notifier, debugfs directory, keyboard backlight LED and optional touchpad LED registered after dell_init() returns an error. Add the missing cleanup calls before tearing down rfkill.
Where it lives
The fix touches these files. If the subsystem is one you do not use, the practical exposure is lower, though the package is still the vulnerable one.
drivers/platform/x86/dell/dell-laptop.c
- What this is
- DELL LAPTOP DRIVERMAINTAINERS section matched on drivers/platform/x86/dell/dell-laptop.c · platform-driver-x86@vger.kernel.org · Maintained
- Kernel module
- dell_laptop
Check it on the machine
grep -wE 'CONFIG_DELL_LAPTOP|CONFIG_X86|CONFIG_X86_PLATFORM_DRIVERS_DELL' /boot/config-$(uname -r)Reads the booted kernel's own configuration, on the machine and nowhere else. =y is built in, =m is a module, and an is not set line means the code is not there.
lsmod | grep -w dell_laptopPrints a line if that module is loaded right now, and nothing if it is not. One that is not loaded can still be loaded later by anything that needs it.
Show whether Debian builds this, per release
Debian builds this, but not on every flavour. At least one release below builds the code on some of its kernel flavours and not on others, so the answer depends on the architecture and flavour installed.
- bookwormMnot built on amd64/cloud-amd64, arm64/arm64, arm64/cloud-arm64, arm64/rt/arm64, armhf/armmp, armhf/armmp-lpae, armhf/rt/armmp, ppc64el/powerpc64le
- trixieMnot built on amd64/cloud-amd64, arm64/arm64, arm64/arm64-16k, arm64/cloud-arm64, arm64/rt/arm64, armel/rpi, armhf/armmp, armhf/armmp-lpae, armhf/rt/armmp, ppc64el/powerpc64le, ppc64el/powerpc64le-64k, riscv64/riscv64, s390x/s390x
- forky, sidMnot built on amd64/cloud-amd64, arm64/arm64, arm64/arm64-16k, arm64/cloud-arm64, arm64/rt-arm64, armhf/armmp, armhf/armmp-lpae, loong64/loong64, ppc64el/powerpc64le, ppc64el/powerpc64le-64k, riscv64/riscv64, s390x/s390x
- M
- a module where it is built at all; some flavours do not build it
- Build switches
- CONFIG_DELL_LAPTOP, CONFIG_X86, CONFIG_X86_PLATFORM_DRIVERS_DELL
- Reads as
- all on means the file is compiled; any one off means it is not.
From the configuration Debian publishes for every kernel flavour it builds. It covers only the architectures Debian ships a linux-config package for, and nothing about a kernel you built yourself. Debian's own status above stays authoritative about the source package.MAINTAINERS kbuild Makefiles Debian linux-config packages
Signals
- Published
- 2026-08-15 (2 months ago)source
- CVSS
- 7.8 high
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:Hsource recompute it - Attack vector
- local (AV:L)source
- EPSS
- 0.16%, higher than 5.2% of all CVEssource
- CISA KEV
- not listedthe KEV catalogue
- Debian urgency
- not yet assignedsource
- Subsystem
- drivers/platform
Upstream fixes
The versions the CNA records as introducing and fixing this, and the commit for each. source
| Introduced | Fixed in | Commit |
|---|---|---|
| 2.6.37 | 6.6.148 | e4908b3bed75 |
| 2.6.37 | 6.12.97 | 6bd76d5421a7 |
| 2.6.37 | 6.18.40 | 1e41ca4a7fba |
| 2.6.37 | 7.1.5 | b351e082711d |
| 2.6.37 | 7.2 | 6e9cab2247e5 |
Why the CNA scored it this way
Quoted from the kernel CNA's own scoring file, word for word. A highlighted metric carries the most severe value CVSS v3.1 defines for it, which is what pushes the score up. source
- AV:LAttack vector, local
- The flaw is only reachable on affected Dell laptops through local kernel interfaces—late_initcall dell_init() and, after the broken teardown, orphaned sysfs LED nodes, debugfs files, and Dell WMI keyboard-backlight notifier callbacks. There is no network, Bluetooth, or remote protocol path into dell-laptop.c.
- AC:LAttack complexity, low
- On Dell hardware where micmute/mute/backlight registration or dell_get_intensity() fails after earlier setup succeeds, dell_init() deterministically enters the incomplete fail_led path; subsequent notifier delivery or sysfs access to the still-registered LED/debugfs objects reliably exercises freed platform_device state without races.
- PR:LPrivileges required, low
- Exploitation requires only a local session on the Dell system: world-readable LED sysfs attributes (DEVICE_ATTR_RW brightness) and Dell WMI KEY_KBDILLUMTOGGLE events invoke the dangling notifier/LED callbacks without CAP_SYS_ADMIN, real root, or user-namespace capabilities.
- UI:NUser interaction, none
- After boot leaves the partial-init state, a local attacker triggers the bug themselves by reading/writing orphaned /sys/class/leds entries or generating keyboard-backlight WMI events; no separate victim action, administrator approval, or privileged helper is required.
- S:UScope, unchanged
- The use-after-free and heap corruption occur entirely within the host kernel's memory and security authority on the same Dell machine; this is a standard local kernel compromise path without VM escape, IOMMU bypass, or sandbox-boundary crossing.
- C:HConfidentiality impact, high
- platform_device_del() runs while keyboard/touchpad LED classdevs and the dell_laptop notifier remain registered against the freed platform device, creating a use-after-free whose sysfs/WMI callbacks can read adjacent slab contents and disclose kernel memory to userspace.
- I:HIntegrity impact, high
- Orphaned led_classdev and notifier objects parented to the deleted platform_device let attacker-influenced brightness/WMI activity drive callbacks and sysfs notifications on freed device structures, enabling heap grooming and arbitrary kernel writes suitable for control-flow hijacking.
- A:HAvailability impact, high
- Dereferencing the dangling platform_device/LED device objects from notifier callbacks or sysfs brightness operations reliably provokes kernel oops/panic on affected Dell laptops, and the underlying use-after-free can crash the system even when full exploitation is not attempted.