Answer in brief
CVE-2026-68178 records a Unknown severity vulnerability in misc: nsm: pin the module while the device is open. The current sources do not mark it as known exploited. The current feed maps Linux/Linux (generic), Linux/Linux (generic). Check affected ranges and fixed versions before updating.
Analysis pending evidence review
HOL Guard separates source facts from reviewed analysis. See the methodology.
A CVSS score is not reported in the current record. The current sources do not mark it as known exploited. Treat this as a source-backed prioritization signal, not a statement about your environment.
Analysis status
Analysis pending evidence review
Factual feed record only; HOL analysis is not approved for indexing. Read the methodology.
The current feed maps Linux/Linux (generic), Linux/Linux (generic). Check affected ranges and fixed versions before updating.
| Package | Affected range | Fixed version |
|---|---|---|
| Linux/Linuxgeneric | >=b9873755a6c8ccfce79094c4dce9efa3ecb1a749 <1996639f824ce9468395cdb7bcb8f467fa787e77 || >=b9873755a6c8ccfce79094c4dce9efa3ecb1a749 <1da310b94504d42001e9c32c43c5dc105b777e5f || >=b9873755a6c8ccfce79094c4dce9efa3ecb1a749 <9e9a82d00c3d10129fc310a7547b24a679d5d920 || >=b9873755a6c8ccfce79094c4dce9efa3ecb1a749 <3b231f1e9990f4c21220d0a69733ce2105891ff9 | 1996639f824ce9468395cdb7bcb8f467fa787e77, 1da310b94504d42001e9c32c43c5dc105b777e5f, 9e9a82d00c3d10129fc310a7547b24a679d5d920, 3b231f1e9990f4c21220d0a69733ce2105891ff9 |
| Linux/Linuxgeneric | 6.8 | Not reported |
Published upstream
Aug 10, 2026
Evidence: source:cvelist:source_dates:source-dates:recordSource modified
Aug 10, 2026
Evidence: source:cvelist:source_dates:source-dates:recordFirst seen by HOL
Aug 10, 2026
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: misc: nsm: pin the module while the device is open misc_open() installs a misc driver's file operations with fops_get(), which pins file_operations::owner before replacing the file's f_op. The NSM misc device leaves nsm_dev_fops.owner unset, so opening /dev/nsm does not take a module reference on the nsm driver. If the driver is built as a module, an open file descriptor can therefore survive rmmod of the module that provides its ioctl callbacks. A later ioctl through that descriptor can call into unloaded module text. Set nsm_dev_fops.owner to THIS_MODULE so the misc core holds the module while any /dev/nsm file descriptor is open, matching the lifetime expectation for the installed file operations.
Quoted source text, attributed separately from HOL analysis.
Answer in brief
CVE-2026-68178 records a Unknown severity vulnerability in misc: nsm: pin the module while the device is open. The current sources do not mark it as known exploited. The current feed maps Linux/Linux (generic), Linux/Linux (generic). Check affected ranges and fixed versions before updating.
Analysis pending evidence review
HOL Guard separates source facts from reviewed analysis. See the methodology.
A CVSS score is not reported in the current record. The current sources do not mark it as known exploited. Treat this as a source-backed prioritization signal, not a statement about your environment.
Analysis status
Analysis pending evidence review
Factual feed record only; HOL analysis is not approved for indexing. Read the methodology.
The current feed maps Linux/Linux (generic), Linux/Linux (generic). Check affected ranges and fixed versions before updating.
| Package | Affected range | Fixed version |
|---|---|---|
| Linux/Linuxgeneric | >=b9873755a6c8ccfce79094c4dce9efa3ecb1a749 <1996639f824ce9468395cdb7bcb8f467fa787e77 || >=b9873755a6c8ccfce79094c4dce9efa3ecb1a749 <1da310b94504d42001e9c32c43c5dc105b777e5f || >=b9873755a6c8ccfce79094c4dce9efa3ecb1a749 <9e9a82d00c3d10129fc310a7547b24a679d5d920 || >=b9873755a6c8ccfce79094c4dce9efa3ecb1a749 <3b231f1e9990f4c21220d0a69733ce2105891ff9 | 1996639f824ce9468395cdb7bcb8f467fa787e77, 1da310b94504d42001e9c32c43c5dc105b777e5f, 9e9a82d00c3d10129fc310a7547b24a679d5d920, 3b231f1e9990f4c21220d0a69733ce2105891ff9 |
| Linux/Linuxgeneric | 6.8 | Not reported |
Published upstream
Aug 10, 2026
Evidence: source:cvelist:source_dates:source-dates:recordSource modified
Aug 10, 2026
Evidence: source:cvelist:source_dates:source-dates:recordFirst seen by HOL
Aug 10, 2026
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: misc: nsm: pin the module while the device is open misc_open() installs a misc driver's file operations with fops_get(), which pins file_operations::owner before replacing the file's f_op. The NSM misc device leaves nsm_dev_fops.owner unset, so opening /dev/nsm does not take a module reference on the nsm driver. If the driver is built as a module, an open file descriptor can therefore survive rmmod of the module that provides its ioctl callbacks. A later ioctl through that descriptor can call into unloaded module text. Set nsm_dev_fops.owner to THIS_MODULE so the misc core holds the module while any /dev/nsm file descriptor is open, matching the lifetime expectation for the installed file operations.
Quoted source text, attributed separately from HOL analysis.