# CVE-2026-64529: crypto: qat - remove unused character device and IOCTLs

> Removal of unused QAT driver IOCTLs reduces the kernel attack surface by eliminating an unneeded character device interface.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **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:** Yes
- **Published:** 25 Jul 2026
- **Updated:** 19 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2026-64529, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-64529, GHSA-9fhf-pqwj-mfrc, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2204-CVE-2026-64529, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-64529

## What is CVE-2026-64529?

CVE-2026-64529 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux, published on 25 Jul 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:

crypto: qat - remove unused character device and IOCTLs

The QAT driver exposes a character device (qat_adf_ctl) with IOCTLs
for device configuration, start, stop, status query and enumeration.
These IOCTLs are not part of any public uAPI header and have no known
in-tree or out-of-tree users. Device lifecycle is already managed via
sysfs.

The ioctl interface also increases the attack surface and is the
subject of a number of bug reports.

Remove the character device, the IOCTL definitions, and the related
data structures (adf_dev_status_info, adf_user_cfg_key_val,
adf_user_cfg_section, adf_user_cfg_ctl_data). Drop the now-unused
adf_cfg_user.h header and strip adf_ctl_drv.c down to the minimal
module_init/module_exit hooks for workqueue, AER, and crypto/compression
algorithm registration.

Clean up leftover dead code that was only reachable from the removed
IOCTL paths: adf_cfg_del_all(), adf_devmgr_verify_id(),
adf_devmgr_get_num_dev(), adf_devmgr_get_dev_by_id(),
adf_get_vf_real_id() and the unused ADF_CFG macros.

Additionally, drop the entry associated to QAT IOCTLs in
ioctl-number.rst.

Weakness: CWE-489 (Active Debug Code)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-64529?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-64529?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-64529 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-64529 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-64529 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-64529 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux, published on 25 Jul 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-64529 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-64529/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-64529/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-64529
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-64529
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-64529

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-64529/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.