CVE-2026-68443

Kernel crash via unstopped device I/O race

Published Aug 12, 2026 · Updated Aug 12, 2026

Use-after-free in the Linux gigabyte_waterforce hwmon driver allows local users to crash the kernel during a failed device probe. After hid_device_io_start() begins I/O, the probe error path calls hid_hw_stop() without first stopping device I/O, allowing hid_input_report() to race with teardown and access freed state. Reachability requires the driver to probe a supported Gigabyte Waterforce USB HID cooler and enter the failure path after I/O starts; the published assessment bounds impact to availability.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.17%
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 Linux gigabyte_waterforce hwmon driver allows local users to crash the kernel during a failed device probe. After hid_device_io_start() begins I/O, the probe error path calls hid_hw_stop() without first stopping device I/O, allowing hid_input_report() to race with teardown and access freed state. Reachability requires the driver to probe a supported Gigabyte Waterforce USB HID cooler and enter the failure path after I/O starts; the published assessment bounds impact to availability.

The record

CVE
CVE-2026-68443
Published
Aug 12, 2026
Updated
Aug 12, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-825
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 12, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 12, 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=42ac68e3d4ba06ad17bc56b790dbccc37e76e0ba <0842e9faab04f784d01125085195031252ff9695
  2. Affected versionversion=42ac68e3d4ba06ad17bc56b790dbccc37e76e0ba <a855f678ba37ef82c4dd22926ad740ecfb8dbedf
  3. Affected versionversion=42ac68e3d4ba06ad17bc56b790dbccc37e76e0ba <f36e12cc8cfe996d627b8a82bd9df9e43270f6e2
  4. Affected versionversion=42ac68e3d4ba06ad17bc56b790dbccc37e76e0ba <ff0c5c53d08274e200b48a4d53aa078265e873cb
  5. Affected versionversion=6.8

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=42ac68e3d4ba06ad17bc56b790dbccc37e76e0ba <0842e9faab04f784d01125085195031252ff9695; version=42ac68e3d4ba06ad17bc56b790dbccc37e76e0ba <a855f678ba37ef82c4dd22926ad740ecfb8dbedf; version=42ac68e3d4ba06ad17bc56b790dbccc37e76e0ba <f36e12cc8cfe996d627b8a82bd9df9e43270f6e2; version=42ac68e3d4ba06ad17bc56b790dbccc37e76e0ba <ff0c5c53d08274e200b48a4d53aa078265e873cb; version=6.8

Published CVSS scores

5.5Red HatCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
4.8Amazon LinuxCVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/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

CWE-825Expired Pointer Dereference

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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