Memory leak via uncleared PN533 transmit fragments
Published Sep 4, 2026 · Updated Sep 4, 2026
Memory leak in the Linux kernel PN533 NFC driver from 3.12 allows physically proximate attackers to consume memory during device removal. The pn53x_common_clean() path purges resp_q but frees the common PN533 state without purging fragment_skb, leaving queued transmit skbs allocated. Reachability requires a PN533 device to be removed while fragments of a large initiator- or target-mode frame remain queued; the documented consequence is retained kernel memory.
Summary
What happened
Memory leak in the Linux kernel PN533 NFC driver from 3.12 allows physically proximate attackers to consume memory during device removal. The pn53x_common_clean() path purges resp_q but frees the common PN533 state without purging fragment_skb, leaving queued transmit skbs allocated. Reachability requires a PN533 device to be removed while fragments of a large initiator- or target-mode frame remain queued; the documented consequence is retained kernel memory.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-80797
- Published
- Sep 4, 2026
- Updated
- Sep 4, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- Unavailable
- Attack vector
- physical
- Privileges
- Unavailable
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Sep 4, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Sep 4, 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.
- Affected versionversion=3.12
- Affected versionversion=963a82e07d4e1f95fc423d53912ac0a7fe643b1c <130b5ad4492f8e53d0398ee3af2b0e2388504d11
- Affected versionversion=963a82e07d4e1f95fc423d53912ac0a7fe643b1c <2f5d093194ec24d7c29b91bf7df014924e0f4ea1
- Affected versionversion=963a82e07d4e1f95fc423d53912ac0a7fe643b1c <4a52ec2457ff8c26206fcc20fa1972cc35a678c4
- Affected versionversion=963a82e07d4e1f95fc423d53912ac0a7fe643b1c <5718fc62198c38c2de5316020a90506f9e75e0bb
- Affected versionversion=963a82e07d4e1f95fc423d53912ac0a7fe643b1c <9319c3c4962efc8697246b563ea31c6d47f085aa
- Affected versionversion=963a82e07d4e1f95fc423d53912ac0a7fe643b1c <d63e85c5d5555fe6aa65155d3a09452597e163c3
- Affected versionversion=963a82e07d4e1f95fc423d53912ac0a7fe643b1c <e169277281373818ae1cedf976aa1e99118fb77d
- Affected versionversion=963a82e07d4e1f95fc423d53912ac0a7fe643b1c <e7ed2ea5590fbe2d3be39ee4fb0c758a12e31d0c
- Affected versionversion=963a82e07d4e1f95fc423d53912ac0a7fe643b1c <e95beff58b38c871c557bf84e528408283c2c0ad
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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Weakness, pattern, technique
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Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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