4.8
MEDIUM CVSS 3.1
CVE-2026-85032
Use-after-free in the MCTP over USB binding when the host disables the class while RX parsing is in progress
Description

The MCTP over USB device class in subsys/pmci/mctp/mctp_usb.c splits RX handling across two threads: the system workqueue runs mctp_usb_class_out_work(), which parses host OUT data byte by byte and fills a packet buffer at usb->rx_pkt, while the USB device stack thread runs mctp_usb_class_disable(). The disable handler used k_work_cancel(), which removes a queued work item but returns immediately without waiting for a handler that is already running, and then called mctp_usb_reset_rx_state() to mctp_pktbuf_free() the packet buffer the worker may still be using. Both entry points into mctp_usb_class_disable() are driven by the attached USB host: a SET_CONFIGURATION request and a USB bus reset both reach it via usbd_config_reset() in subsys/usb/device_next/usbd_config.c. A host that streams partial MCTP frames on the bulk OUT endpoint and repeatedly forces a configuration change or bus reset therefore controls both the data being parsed and the moment the teardown runs, and can retry the race indefinitely without credentials or user interaction. If the free lands while the worker holds the pointer, the worker writes host-supplied bytes into freed memory of the dedicated MCTP heap (CONFIG_MCTP_HEAP_SIZE in subsys/pmci/mctp/mctp_memory.c), corrupting recycled buffers or sys_heap free-block metadata; this window requires genuine parallelism, i.e. CONFIG_SMP or a preemptible CONFIG_SYSTEM_WORKQUEUE_PRIORITY. With the default cooperative workqueue the worker can still yield inside mctp_bus_rx() (application callback or a control-message reply blocking in mctp_usb_tx()), after which it resumes and calls mctp_pktbuf_free(usb->rx_pkt) on a pointer the teardown has NULLed, dereferencing NULL and faulting on targets with null-pointer detection. The fix replaces the cancel with k_work_cancel_sync() plus a new struct k_work_sync out_work_sync, so disable waits for the RX worker to finish before draining the FIFO and freeing the packet buffer. The affected code is the MCTP subsystem, which is marked experimental, built only with CONFIG_MCTP_USB.

INFO

Published Date :

Nov. 3, 2026, 2:17 p.m.

Last Modified :

Nov. 3, 2026, 2:17 p.m.

Remotely Exploit :

No
Affected Products

The following products are affected by CVE-2026-85032 vulnerability. Even if cvefeed.io is aware of the exact versions of the products that are affected, the information is not represented in the table below.

ID Vendor Product Action
1 Zephyrproject zephyr
2 Zephyrproject zephyr
CVSS Scores
The Common Vulnerability Scoring System is a standardized framework for assessing the severity of vulnerabilities in software and systems. We collect and displays CVSS scores from various sources for each CVE.
Score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Score Impact Score Source
CVSS 3.1 MEDIUM e2e69745-5e70-4e92-8431-deb5529a81ad
CVSS 3.1 MEDIUM [email protected]
Solution
Race condition in MCTP over USB RX handling fixed by synchronizing workqueue execution.
  • Update the MCTP subsystem to the latest version.
  • Apply the synchronization fix for the workqueue.
  • Ensure CONFIG_MCTP_USB is configured correctly.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools

Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to CVE-2026-85032.

URL Resource
https://github.com/zephyrproject-rtos/zephyr/commit/277424084e740da5d61a17f40bea3457fa593acc
https://github.com/zephyrproject-rtos/zephyr/security/advisories/GHSA-pp5m-jr2h-qp3f
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration

While CVE identifies specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-85032 is associated with the following CWEs:

Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)

Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC) stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2026-85032 weaknesses.

We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).

Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.

The following list is the news that have been mention CVE-2026-85032 vulnerability anywhere in the article.

The following table lists the changes that have been made to the CVE-2026-85032 vulnerability over time.

Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.

  • New CVE Received by [email protected]

    Nov. 03, 2026

    Action Type Old Value New Value
    Added Description The MCTP over USB device class in subsys/pmci/mctp/mctp_usb.c splits RX handling across two threads: the system workqueue runs mctp_usb_class_out_work(), which parses host OUT data byte by byte and fills a packet buffer at usb->rx_pkt, while the USB device stack thread runs mctp_usb_class_disable(). The disable handler used k_work_cancel(), which removes a queued work item but returns immediately without waiting for a handler that is already running, and then called mctp_usb_reset_rx_state() to mctp_pktbuf_free() the packet buffer the worker may still be using. Both entry points into mctp_usb_class_disable() are driven by the attached USB host: a SET_CONFIGURATION request and a USB bus reset both reach it via usbd_config_reset() in subsys/usb/device_next/usbd_config.c. A host that streams partial MCTP frames on the bulk OUT endpoint and repeatedly forces a configuration change or bus reset therefore controls both the data being parsed and the moment the teardown runs, and can retry the race indefinitely without credentials or user interaction. If the free lands while the worker holds the pointer, the worker writes host-supplied bytes into freed memory of the dedicated MCTP heap (CONFIG_MCTP_HEAP_SIZE in subsys/pmci/mctp/mctp_memory.c), corrupting recycled buffers or sys_heap free-block metadata; this window requires genuine parallelism, i.e. CONFIG_SMP or a preemptible CONFIG_SYSTEM_WORKQUEUE_PRIORITY. With the default cooperative workqueue the worker can still yield inside mctp_bus_rx() (application callback or a control-message reply blocking in mctp_usb_tx()), after which it resumes and calls mctp_pktbuf_free(usb->rx_pkt) on a pointer the teardown has NULLed, dereferencing NULL and faulting on targets with null-pointer detection. The fix replaces the cancel with k_work_cancel_sync() plus a new struct k_work_sync out_work_sync, so disable waits for the RX worker to finish before draining the FIFO and freeing the packet buffer. The affected code is the MCTP subsystem, which is marked experimental, built only with CONFIG_MCTP_USB.
    Added CVSS V3.1 AV:P/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:H
    Added CWE CWE-416
    Added Affected New affected value received. <a href="https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/blob/main/cves/2026/85xxx/CVE-2026-85032.json">CVE-2026-85032</a>
    Added Reference https://github.com/zephyrproject-rtos/zephyr/commit/277424084e740da5d61a17f40bea3457fa593acc
    Added Reference https://github.com/zephyrproject-rtos/zephyr/security/advisories/GHSA-pp5m-jr2h-qp3f
EPSS is a daily estimate of the probability of exploitation activity being observed over the next 30 days. Following chart shows the EPSS score history of the vulnerability.