CVE-2026-45909

Kernel memory corruption via freed clock-gate metadata

Published May 27, 2026 · Updated May 27, 2026

Use-after-free in the MediaTek clock driver in Linux Kernel 6.18 through 6.18.13 and 6.19 through 6.19.3 allows local users to crash the kernel. The driver marks mtk_gate arrays in clk-mt7981-eth.c and clk-mt8516.c as __initconst, so free_initmem() discards objects still dereferenced during runtime clock toggles. Unprivileged device I/O on affected MediaTek SoCs can trigger the dangling access, enabling kernel-memory disclosure, controlled MMIO writes, or a kernel crash.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.16%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Use-after-free in the MediaTek clock driver in Linux Kernel 6.18 through 6.18.13 and 6.19 through 6.19.3 allows local users to crash the kernel. The driver marks mtk_gate arrays in clk-mt7981-eth.c and clk-mt8516.c as __initconst, so free_initmem() discards objects still dereferenced during runtime clock toggles. Unprivileged device I/O on affected MediaTek SoCs can trigger the dangling access, enabling kernel-memory disclosure, controlled MMIO writes, or a kernel crash.

The record

CVE
CVE-2026-45909
Published
May 27, 2026
Updated
May 27, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux Kernel
Classifications
T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 27, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. May 27, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=6.18
  2. Affected versionversion=8ceff24a754ac065123ae0ec9f31ec03aff55f8a <1debd9ba7eb18af8fb63dc93517c6bbcab0e31ee
  3. Affected versionversion=8ceff24a754ac065123ae0ec9f31ec03aff55f8a <866d8ecc4e789f7d73d6cafd1b122d1b6032b3b1
  4. Affected versionversion=8ceff24a754ac065123ae0ec9f31ec03aff55f8a <871afb43e41ad4e8246438de495a939cd0f8113c

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linux Kernelversion=6.18; version=8ceff24a754ac065123ae0ec9f31ec03aff55f8a <1debd9ba7eb18af8fb63dc93517c6bbcab0e31ee; version=8ceff24a754ac065123ae0ec9f31ec03aff55f8a <866d8ecc4e789f7d73d6cafd1b122d1b6032b3b1; version=8ceff24a754ac065123ae0ec9f31ec03aff55f8a <871afb43e41ad4e8246438de495a939cd0f8113c

Published CVSS scores

6.9SUSECVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:L/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
6.1SUSECVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:H
7.8Linux CNACVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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