In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
watchdog: pretimeout: Fix UAF in watchdog_unregister_governor()
When a watchdog governor is unregistered, it updates existing watchdog devices that were using this governor by falling back to `default_gov`.
If the governor being unregistered is currently set as `default_gov`, the `default_gov` is never cleared. This leads to 2 use-after-free issues: 1. New watchdog devices registered after this point will inherit the dangling `default_gov`. 2. Existing watchdog devices using the unregistered governor will have their `wdd->gov` reassigned to the dangling `default_gov`.
Fix the UAF by clearing `default_gov` if it matches the governor being unregistered.
Covered by Rapid7
| Product | Vendor Advisory | Solution File | Added | Published |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debian | — | Upgrade linux-6.12Upgrade linux | Aug 11, 2026 | Aug 11, 2026 |
| Redhat_linux | — | No solution exists | Aug 13, 2026 | Aug 10, 2026 |
| Vmware Photon_os | — | Use 'tdnf update' to upgrade all packages to the latest version. | Aug 17, 2026 | Aug 10, 2026 |
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