Vulnerability Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: iio: event: Fix event FIFO reset race `iio_event_getfd()` creates the event file descriptor with `anon_inode_getfd()`, which allocates a new fd, creates the anonymous file and installs it in the process fd table before returning to the caller. The IIO code resets the event FIFO after `anon_inode_getfd()` has returned, but before `IIO_GET_EVENT_FD_IOCTL` has copied the fd number to userspace. But since fd tables are shared between threads, another thread can guess the newly allocated fd number and issue a `read()` on it as soon as the fd has been installed. This means the `kfifo_to_user()` in `iio_event_chrdev_read()` can run in parallel with the `kfifo_reset_out()` in `iio_event_getfd()`. The kfifo documentation says that `kfifo_reset_out()` is only safe when it is called from the reader thread and there is only one concurrent reader. Otherwise it is dangerous and must be handled in the same way as `kfifo_reset()`. If that happens, `kfifo_to_user()` can advance the FIFO `out` index based on state from before the reset, after the reset has already moved the `out` index to the current `in` index. That can leave the FIFO with an `out` index past the `in` index. A later `read()` can then see an underflowed FIFO length and copy more data than the event FIFO buffer contains. This can result in an out-of-bounds read and leak adjacent kernel memory to userspace. Move the FIFO reset before `anon_inode_getfd()`. At that point the event fd is marked busy, but the new fd has not been installed yet, so userspace cannot access it while the FIFO is reset.
CVSS Score
HIGH
References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0d4a646d7f87ea3625fafe387043fddc6a2f5e7f
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/72c6aa8e0d74eab91b8694cde97dec088c248fee
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9dc84ba4be5bbeb29ee49efe6cea2cb32c461424
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9edefd4c56bee3fe331e0355d1f10a533134999d
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a13ef1adbc62085b21b546b07b0be7e2fbf52150
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/af791d295737ea6b6ff2c8d8488462a49c14af01
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d16a702ca7d29c0b7a9b509339d1b044a1cadb32
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f187dc5a4c4846ffa07d9bda6e760837ed005574
FAQ
What is CVE-2026-64496?
CVE-2026-64496 is a vulnerability with a CVSS score of 7.1 (HIGH). In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: iio: event: Fix event FIFO reset race `iio_event_getfd()` creates the event file descriptor with `anon_inode_getfd()`, which alloc...
How severe is CVE-2026-64496?
CVE-2026-64496 has been rated HIGH with a CVSS base score of 7.1/10. Review the CVSS metrics above for detailed severity breakdown.
Is there a patch for CVE-2026-64496?
Check the references section above for vendor advisories and patch information. Review vendor security bulletins for remediation guidance.