CVE-2026-31759 usb: ulpi: fix double free in ulpi_register_interface() error path
A double free vulnerability in the Linux kernel USB ULPI driver allows attackers to cause denial of service or potentially execute code via crafted USB interactions.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Any signed-in user
- Attackable
- Local or same network only
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- Available
What is CVE-2026-31759?
CVE-2026-31759 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 1 May 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Official description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
usb: ulpi: fix double free in ulpi_register_interface() error path
When device_register() fails, ulpi_register() calls put_device() on ulpi->dev.
The device release callback ulpi_dev_release() drops the OF node reference and frees ulpi, but the current error path in ulpi_register_interface() then calls kfree(ulpi) again, causing a double free.
Let put_device() handle the cleanup through ulpi_dev_release() and avoid freeing ulpi again in ulpi_register_interface().
Weakness: CWE-415
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-31759?
It affects 1 product.
Products include Linux kernel.
How do I fix CVE-2026-31759?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Upgrade to the fixed version. These bugs are found with fuzzing and sanitisers and avoided by memory-safe languages. More about Use after free.
Is CVE-2026-31759 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-31759 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel
Sources
Also known as BELL-CVE-2026-31759, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-31759, GHSA-x34j-qcqj-w3pm, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-11-CVE-2026-31759, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2204-CVE-2026-31759, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2404-CVE-2026-31759 and 1 more.