CVE-2026-90045 USB: gadget: ffs: fix mm lifetime handling
A use-after-free in the Linux kernel USB gadget functionfs driver allows local attackers to execute code or escalate privileges.
- 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-2026-90045?
CVE-2026-90045 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux, published on 16 Sep 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: gadget: ffs: fix mm lifetime handling
io_data stores a pointer to the submitting task's mm_struct, but does not currently hold a reference to it while async requests are pending.
This can result in a use-after-free if the task exits before completion handling finishes.
Take a reference with mmgrab() when queuing the read request and release it with mmdrop() on request completion.
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-90045?
How do I fix CVE-2026-90045?
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-2026-90045 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-90045 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as AZL-101166, BELL-CVE-2026-90045, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-90045, GHSA-g8pp-pjx5-c2hv, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-90045.