CVE-2026-72005: Linux Vulnerability (CVSS 7.8)

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: rt2x00: avoid full teardown before work setup in probe rt2x00lib_probe_dev() uses the full rt2x00lib_remove_dev() teardown for all probe failures. However, drv_data allocation and workqueue allocation can fail before intf_work, autowakeup_work and sleep_work have been initialized. Do not enter the full remove path until the probe has reached the point where those work items are set up. Return directly for drv_data allocation failure, and use a small early cleanup path for workqueue allocation failure. This issue was found by our static analysis tool and then confirmed by manual review of rt2x00lib_probe_dev() and rt2x00lib_remove_dev(). The early probe exits should not call a common teardown path that assumes the later work setup has already completed. A QEMU PoC forced alloc_ordered_workqueue() to fail before the work initializers are reached. The resulting fail path entered rt2x00lib_remove_dev(), and DEBUG_OBJECTS reported invalid work drains with rt2x00lib_probe_dev() and rt2x00lib_remove_dev() in the stack.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

7.8/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS Probability

0.21%

11.6th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Affected Software

Source: CNA advisory (CVE.org). NVD analysis pending.

Vendor	Product	Versions
Linux	Linux	>= 0439f5367c8d8bb2ebaca8d7329f51f3148b2fb2, < 8b58d1f1356df6a7d2de3f55bb665b18b04ffda0; >= 0439f5367c8d8bb2ebaca8d7329f51f3148b2fb2, < 59afe6148927395cf86f9429900e029a48b1d42b; >= 0439f5367c8d8bb2ebaca8d7329f51f3148b2fb2, < 3c0427d719bddb33caf18ff4ffb77cb47de7eb00; >= 0439f5367c8d8bb2ebaca8d7329f51f3148b2fb2, < eb7474d0253bb2de4793e1d3ce833e8564bbe732; >= 0439f5367c8d8bb2ebaca8d7329f51f3148b2fb2, < 66bd9b1a72de7c2f5141b02d796048aafaed8a49; >= 0439f5367c8d8bb2ebaca8d7329f51f3148b2fb2, < 816559409e340acaa5c9d868291dab30d8c80263; >= 0439f5367c8d8bb2ebaca8d7329f51f3148b2fb2, < 56994852d704535ea354a4627ca667b1b4fa0deb; >= 0439f5367c8d8bb2ebaca8d7329f51f3148b2fb2, < 536fb3d739d75a03cb318c0c6fe799425cfea501
Linux	Linux	2.6.39

References

Timeline

Published: Aug 15, 2026
Last Modified: Aug 17, 2026
Status: Received

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-72005?

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: rt2x00: avoid full teardown before work setup in probe rt2x00lib_probe_dev() uses the full rt2x00lib_remove_dev() teardown for all probe failures. However, drv_data allocation and workqueue allocation can fail before intf_work, autowakeup_work and sleep_work have been initialized. Do not enter the full remove path until the probe has reached the point where those work items are set up. Return directly for drv_data allocation failure, and use a small early cleanup path for workqueue allocation failure. This issue was found by our static analysis tool and then confirmed by manual review of rt2x00lib_probe_dev() and rt2x00lib_remove_dev(). The early probe exits should not call a common teardown path that assumes the later work setup has already completed. A QEMU PoC forced alloc_ordered_workqueue() to fail before the work initializers are reached. The resulting fail path entered rt2x00lib_remove_dev(), and DEBUG_OBJECTS reported invalid work drains with rt2x00lib_probe_dev() and rt2x00lib_remove_dev() in the stack.

How severe is CVE-2026-72005?

CVE-2026-72005 has a CVSS score of 7.8/10 (HIGH severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.21% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2026-72005?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

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