CVE-2026-46288: of: unittest: fix use-after-free in of_unittest_changeset()

Vulnerability summary

CVE-2026-46288 is a high (CVSS 8.4) Use After Free vulnerability in linux. EPSS estimates a 0.14% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 3.3% of scored vulnerabilities.

Timeline

1. 08-06-2026
   PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
2. 05-08-2026
   Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: of: unittest: fix use-after-free in of_unittest_changeset() The variable 'parent' is assigned the value of 'nchangeset' earlier in the function, meaning both point to the same struct device_node. The call to of_node_put(nchangeset) can decrement the reference count to zero and free the node if there are no other holders. After that, the code still uses 'parent' to check for the presence of a property and to read a string property, leading to a use-after-free. Fix this by moving the of_node_put() call after the last access to 'parent', avoiding the UAF.

• CWE-416Use After FreeThe product reuses or references memory after it has been freed. At some point afterward, the memory may be allocated again and saved in another pointer, while the original pointer references a location somewhere within the new allocation. Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory "belongs" to the code that operates on the new pointer.