CVE-2026-80579: fbdev: clear fb_info->mode before deleting a videomode

Severity: high (CVSS 7.8 v3.1)
Exploited in the wild: not listed in CISA KEV
EPSS: 0.2% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
Public exploit or detection template: none known
Published: 2026-08-26 · updated 2026-10-16

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: fbdev: clear fb_info->mode before deleting a videomode fb_set_var() can delete a mode from info->modelist when userspace passes FB_ACTIVATE_INV_MODE through FBIOPUT_VSCREENINFO. The code checks that the mode being deleted is not the current info->var and that fbcon is not using it, but it does not check fb_info->mode. fb_info->mode may still point into the modelist entry being deleted. If the entry is freed, later mode sysfs reads through show_mode() can dereference a stale pointer. Clear fb_info->mode before calling fb_delete_videomode() when it matches the mode being removed.

Affected products

Linux kernel: 2.6.12 — fixed in 7.2

How to fix

Upgrade to a fixed version: Linux kernel 7.2. Check the vendor advisory for mitigations.

References

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