Double Free Vulnerability in Linux Kernel Affecting Intel IDXD Devices

CVE-2026-80698

What is CVE-2026-80698?

The vulnerability in the Linux kernel revolves around a double free condition in the handling of work queue, engine, and group structs related to Intel IDXD devices. The issue arises when both the release callbacks and cleanup functions invoke memory deallocation on the same structure, potentially leading to memory corruption and application instability. Specifically, when the reference count drops to zero, the release process falsely triggers a second deallocation, putting systems at risk. This vulnerability underscores the importance of proper memory management within driver development.

References