Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

usb: typec: thunderbolt: Disable work before freeing tbt on remove

tbt_altmode_remove() drops the plug and cable references without
draining tbt->work. The work function dereferences those references,
and can also requeue itself in its error path. The VDM callbacks can
queue the same work item.

Disable and drain tbt->work before dropping the references. This waits
for an existing invocation and prevents subsequent schedule_work()
calls from queueing it during teardown.

This issue was found by an in-house static analysis tool and confirmed
by manual code review.
Published: 2026-09-11
Score: 7.0 High
EPSS: < 1% Very Low
KEV: No
Impact: Kernel use‑after‑free that can cause a crash or privilege escalation
Action: Immediate Patch
AI Analysis

Impact

The vulnerability lies in the Linux kernel Thunderbolt Alternate Mode removal routine. When a device is removed, the function drops plug and cable references before draining the scheduled work queue. The work handler later dereferences those already freed objects and can re‑queue itself in error paths, creating cause a kernel panic or potentially allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges.

Affected Systems

All Linux kernels that include the unpatched thunderbolt type‑C handling code are impacted. No specific version range is listed in the CNA data, so any kernel before the commit that fixed the issue may be vulnerable. The affected product is the Linux kernel itself.

Risk and Exploitability

The score of 7.0 on the CVSS scale denotes high severity, while the EPSS value of less than 1% indicates a very low probability of real‑world exploitation at this time. The flaw is not listed in the CISA The likely attack vector is local hardware manipulation: an attacker would need to connect a malicious Thunderbolt or USB‑C device to the affected system to trigger the race condition.

Generated by OpenCVE AI on September 15, 2026 at 19:54 UTC.

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record.

OpenCVE Recommended Actions

  • Apply the latest kernel update that includes the fixed tbt_altmode_remove handling
  • If an immediate kernel upgrade is not possible, disable Thunderbolt/USB‑C support in the kernel configuration or block the interface via system tools
  • Configure udev rules or device permission controls to limit Thunderbolt device access to trusted users only

Generated by OpenCVE AI on September 15, 2026 at 19:54 UTC.

Tracking

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Advisories

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History

Sat, 12 Sep 2026 00:15:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-825
References
Metrics threat_severity

None

cvssV3_1

{'score': 7.0, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H'}

threat_severity

Moderate


Fri, 11 Sep 2026 23:45:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: usb: typec: thunderbolt: Disable work before freeing tbt on remove tbt_altmode_remove() drops the plug and cable references without draining tbt->work. The work function dereferences those references, and can also requeue itself in its error path. The VDM callbacks can queue the same work item. Disable and drain tbt->work before dropping the references. This waits for an existing invocation and prevents subsequent schedule_work() calls from queueing it during teardown. This issue was found by an in-house static analysis tool and confirmed by manual code review.
Title usb: typec: thunderbolt: Disable work before freeing tbt on remove
First Time appeared Linux
Linux linux Kernel
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Linux
Linux linux Kernel
References

Subscriptions

Linux Linux Kernel
cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: Linux

Published:

Updated: 2026-09-11T19:46:45.250Z

Reserved: 2026-09-11T19:38:34.761Z

Link: CVE-2026-89737

cve-icon Vulnrichment

No data.

cve-icon NVD

Status : Received

Published: 2026-09-11T20:20:04.240

Modified: 2026-09-11T20:20:04.240

Link: CVE-2026-89737

cve-icon Redhat

Severity : Moderate

Publid Date: 2026-09-11T19:46:45Z

Links: CVE-2026-89737 - Bugzilla

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

Updated: 2026-09-15T20:00:08Z

Weaknesses
  • CWE-825

    Expired Pointer Dereference