# CVE-2026-68318: pds_core: fix use-after-free on workqueue during remove

> A use-after-free in the pds_core driver allows local attackers to execute arbitrary code or escalate privileges during device removal.

- **Severity:** Not scored
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 10 Aug 2026
- **Updated:** 21 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-94728, BELL-CVE-2026-68318, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-68318, GHSA-q3gg-v595-rj52, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-68318

## What is CVE-2026-68318?

CVE-2026-68318 is an use after free vulnerability in Linux, published on 10 Aug 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:

pds_core: fix use-after-free on workqueue during remove

In pdsc_remove(), the workqueue is destroyed before pdsc_teardown()
is called. This ordering allows two paths to queue work on the
destroyed workqueue:

1. If pdsc_teardown() -> pdsc_devcmd_reset() times out, the error
   path in pdsc_devcmd_locked() queues health_work.

2. A NotifyQ event can trigger the ISR and queue work before free_irq()
   is called in pdsc_teardown().

Fix by moving destroy_workqueue() after pdsc_teardown() so the
workqueue outlives every queuer; destroy_workqueue() then flushes any
work still pending.

Draining the queued work also requires ordering the teardown so the
resources that work touches are freed last:

  - In pdsc_qcq_free(), after freeing the interrupt, cancel_work_sync()
    the queue's work and only then clear qcq->intx, so
    pdsc_process_adminq()'s read of qcq->intx for interrupt-credit
    return cannot race with the clear.

  - Free adminqcq before notifyqcq: the shared adminq ISR is released
    when adminqcq is freed, and the adminq work accesses notifyqcq, so
    both must be stopped before notifyqcq is freed.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-68318?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-68318?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-68318 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-68318 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-68318 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-68318 is an use after free vulnerability in Linux, published on 10 Aug 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-2026-68318 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-2026-68318/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-68318/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-68318
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-68318
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-68318

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-68318/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.