CVE-2026-90122

Kernel crash via uninitialized clock-parent field

Published Sep 17, 2026 · Updated Sep 17, 2026

Linux 5.17 has an initialization flaw in its Visconti clock driver that allows attackers to crash the kernel during clock registration. visconti_clk_register_gate() sets init.parent_data but wrongly assumes the uninitialized init.parent_names field is NULL. Exposure requires the Visconti driver and CONFIG_INIT_STACK_ALL_PATTERN or CONFIG_INIT_STACK_NONE; no attacker-controlled trigger is documented.

CVSS severity4.7
Medium
EPSS probability0.21%
Next 30 days · Oct 19, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Linux 5.17 has an initialization flaw in its Visconti clock driver that allows attackers to crash the kernel during clock registration. visconti_clk_register_gate() sets init.parent_data but wrongly assumes the uninitialized init.parent_names field is NULL. Exposure requires the Visconti driver and CONFIG_INIT_STACK_ALL_PATTERN or CONFIG_INIT_STACK_NONE; no attacker-controlled trigger is documented.

The record

CVE
CVE-2026-90122
Published
Sep 17, 2026
Updated
Sep 17, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Sep 17, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 17, 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=5.17
  2. Affected versionversion=b4cbe606dc3674b25cb661e7cd1a1c6ddaaafaaa <0e97c22b286e1918c6f48bad7e77fb8240a24b4a
  3. Affected versionversion=b4cbe606dc3674b25cb661e7cd1a1c6ddaaafaaa <1cc0539e5b0906bace15d3fc7347b344a017cc02
  4. Affected versionversion=b4cbe606dc3674b25cb661e7cd1a1c6ddaaafaaa <39c0e6c844a14945040cca4ccf6997792ab764c4
  5. Affected versionversion=b4cbe606dc3674b25cb661e7cd1a1c6ddaaafaaa <5ecfa72e74c6e2a765fa5bc1da574e5beae588f2
  6. Affected versionversion=b4cbe606dc3674b25cb661e7cd1a1c6ddaaafaaa <8f7980033e9f7ecaaecd873a0b5bf6b6c87d7e5a
  7. Affected versionversion=b4cbe606dc3674b25cb661e7cd1a1c6ddaaafaaa <9f756f1965bad65e6066608f33c36988cd10302a

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=5.17; version=b4cbe606dc3674b25cb661e7cd1a1c6ddaaafaaa <0e97c22b286e1918c6f48bad7e77fb8240a24b4a; version=b4cbe606dc3674b25cb661e7cd1a1c6ddaaafaaa <1cc0539e5b0906bace15d3fc7347b344a017cc02; version=b4cbe606dc3674b25cb661e7cd1a1c6ddaaafaaa <39c0e6c844a14945040cca4ccf6997792ab764c4; version=b4cbe606dc3674b25cb661e7cd1a1c6ddaaafaaa <5ecfa72e74c6e2a765fa5bc1da574e5beae588f2; version=b4cbe606dc3674b25cb661e7cd1a1c6ddaaafaaa <8f7980033e9f7ecaaecd873a0b5bf6b6c87d7e5a; version=b4cbe606dc3674b25cb661e7cd1a1c6ddaaafaaa <9f756f1965bad65e6066608f33c36988cd10302a

Published CVSS scores

4.9TenableAV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:C
5.5TenableCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
4.7Amazon LinuxCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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.

Activity data is delayed. The latest report is Sep 28, 2026.

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No observations available

Sep 22, 2026Sep 28, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 28, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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