CVE-2026-68357

watchdog: pretimeout: Fix UAF in watchdog_unregister_governor()

N/A

Published: August 10, 2026 at 12:03 PM UTC

Updated: August 19, 2026 at 05:20 PM UTC

1 product affected across 1 vendorLinux Kernel

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Severity

N/A

Exploit prediction

EPSS 0.2%

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: watchdog: pretimeout: Fix UAF in watchdog_unregister_governor() When a watchdog governor is unregistered, it updates existing watchdog devices that were using this governor by falling back to `default_gov`. If the governor being unregistered is currently set as `default_gov`, the `default_gov` is never cleared. This leads to 2 use-after-free issues: 1. New watchdog devices registered after this point will inherit the dangling `default_gov`. 2. Existing watchdog devices using the unregistered governor will have their `wdd->gov` reassigned to the dangling `default_gov`. Fix the UAF by clearing `default_gov` if it matches the governor being unregistered.

Affected

Our own answer: ranges merged, affected separated from platform-only, with confidence and review flags.

Linux Kernel · Linux

95%

4.9 ≤ v < 5.10.2654.9 ≤ v < 5.15.2164.9 ≤ v < 6.1.1834.9 ≤ v < 6.12.1014.9 ≤ v < 6.18.424.9 ≤ v < 6.6.1484.9 ≤ v < 7.1.64.9 ≤ v < 7.24.9da0d12ff2b829a35e9921918e925d79497b82bef

Vendor states this is fixed in 0ca252720f0e38411cfec3431db9bb1aed0a412c (fixed)

Vendor states this is fixed in 2e47b91b9b4020fcc01def14d6b6556d66074cf4 (fixed)

Vendor states this is fixed in 472ec1e34ff0bb26379805cae808f658cce58c35 (fixed)

Vendor states this is fixed in 7362ba0f9c96ac3ad6a2ca3995bd9fc9a28a8661 (fixed)

Vendor states this is fixed in 7993d626983cc58fbde9607333cfd2d57725c197 (fixed)

Vendor states this is fixed in 7a2ee3ec6f208307eca1119a343c7b5d39c03708 (fixed)

Vendor states this is fixed in 7d1658b066de30f4b23afc14814d22416a971e6e (fixed)

Vendor states this is fixed in b9ae33faa96bdec6bc60e4c5f8f53786182e4207 (fixed)

Vendor states this is fixed in 4.9 (unaffected)

Vendor states this is fixed in 5.10.265 (unaffected)

Vendor states this is fixed in 5.15.216 (unaffected)

Vendor states this is fixed in 6.1.183 (unaffected)