HIGH Introduced in 6.14
mfd ReplyBuffer UAF
CVE-2026-80975
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
KernelScan AI7.5HIGH
01Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mfd: qnap-mcu: keep the reply buffer alive past a command timeout qnap_mcu_exec() publishes an on-stack buffer to the receive path: unsigned char rx[QNAP_MCU_RX_BUFFER_SIZE]; ... reply->data = rx; reply->length = length; and qnap_mcu_receive_buf() writes into it from the serdev receive path, which runs out of flush_to_ldisc() and is not serialized against qnap_mcu_exec() at all. bus_lock cannot cover it, because qnap_mcu_exec() holds that mutex across wait_for_completion_timeout(). On a timeout qnap_mcu_exec() returns with reply->data still pointing at its own frame. A reply that arrives late, or an unsolicited message from the MCU, is then written into a stack frame that has been left, corrupting whatever runs next on that stack. The same applies when qnap_mcu_write() fails, since that path returns without touching the reply state either. Move the receive buffer into struct qnap_mcu. It is 37 bytes and the structure is devm_kzalloc()ed, so it lives as long as the driver, and a late write lands in memory that is still valid and is reinitialized by the next command. bus_lock keeps commands from sharing it. This deliberately does not clear reply->data or reply->length on the timeout path. Doing so races with qnap_mcu_receive_buf(), which reads both after its if (!reply->length) return size; check: clearing reply->data gives a NULL dereference, and clearing reply->length alone removes the reply->received == reply->length exit condition, so the copy loop runs until the uart chunk is consumed and overruns the buffer. Leaving both set keeps the write bounded by reply->length, which qnap_mcu_exec() has already checked against sizeof(mcu->rx).
02KernelScan AI Analysis
Risk summary
A local user on a QNAP NAS device can trigger a command to the onboard microcontroller that times out, leaving a dangling pointer to a freed stack buffer. A late reply from the MCU then corrupts the kernel stack, potentially leading to privilege escalation or a system crash. The vulnerability requires specific QNAP hardware and depends on winning a timing race between command timeout and delayed MCU response.
Vulnerability analysis
The QNAP MCU driver publishes a stack-local receive buffer to the serial receive path before waiting for a reply. When the wait times out, the function returns and unwinds its stack frame, but the receive path still holds a pointer to that now-invalid stack memory. A late reply or unsolicited message from the microcontroller then writes into the stale stack frame, corrupting whatever kernel code runs next on that stack. The fix moves the receive buffer into the long-lived device structure so that a late write always lands in valid memory that persists for the lifetime of the driver and is reinitialized on the next command. The vulnerability is reachable by any local user who can trigger an MCU command through the driver's sysfs or subsystem interfaces on QNAP NAS hardware that includes the supported microcontroller.
Lifecycle
03Fix Versions
| Branch | Introduced | Fixed in | Patch commit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.18 | 6.14 | 6.18.51 | 0b6680e30639 |
| 7.2 | 6.14 | 7.2.4 | 8391ee06d088 |
| mainline | 6.14 | 7.3 | 47504742cea7 |