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.
Analysis
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Default status is the baseline for the product, each version can override it (e.g. patched versions marked unaffected).
| Vendor | Product | Default status | Versions | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | unaffected |
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| Linux | Linux | affected |
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Mon, 10 Aug 2026 12:30:00 +0000
| Type | Values Removed | Values Added |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | |
| Title | watchdog: pretimeout: Fix UAF in watchdog_unregister_governor() | |
| First Time appeared |
Linux
Linux linux Kernel |
|
| CPEs | cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | |
| Vendors & Products |
Linux
Linux linux Kernel |
|
| References |
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|
MITRE
Status: PUBLISHED
Assigner: Linux
Published:
Updated: 2026-08-10T12:03:34.241Z
Reserved: 2026-07-30T09:28:09.385Z
Link: CVE-2026-68357
Vulnrichment
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NVD
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Redhat
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OpenCVE Enrichment
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No weakness.