* [CVE-2026-98674][LOW] iio: adc: adi-axi-adc: Initialize state mutex [ Upstream
@ 2026-10-24 15:54 21% AL-KERNEL
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From: AL-KERNEL @ 2026-10-24 15:54 UTC (permalink / raw)
To: kernel-cve
CVE: CVE-2026-98674
Priority: LOW
AL-KERNEL base severity: LOW
KPANIC flag: NO
Patch: iio: adc: adi-axi-adc: Initialize state mutex [ Upstream
Commit: b473ee29aa0d39e7a7568b9675b15db2b0ae6057
Upstream patch: https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git/commit/?id=b473ee29aa0d39e7a7568b9675b15db2b0ae6057
Original CVE announcement: https://lore.kernel.org/linux-cve-announce/?q=CVE-2026-98674
Analysis date: Sat, 24 Oct 2026 11:54:38 -0400
ActionableScore: 2
ActionableScore lower bound: unknown
Actionable bucket: Ordinary Moderate
Manual review required: NO
Summary:
An uninitialized AXI ADC mutex can enter invalid wait-list processing under concurrent register access and crash the kernel, without a demonstrated reusable corruption primitive.
======================================================================
ABOUT THIS REPORT
======================================================================
The original Linux kernel CVE announcement for CVE-2026-98674 is available here:
https://lore.kernel.org/linux-cve-announce/?q=CVE-2026-98674
The original announcement does not normally provide a security severity
estimate, CVSS assessment, or enough information to determine whether the
reported kernel bug represents a practically relevant security issue.
This report was generated by AL-KERNEL, an AI-assisted Linux kernel
vulnerability analysis system developed by Alexander Larkin. It combines
an autonomous classifier with LLM-assisted technical analysis and a
separate ActionableScore mechanism.
The purpose of this report is to prioritize Linux kernel CVEs before
manual review, identify cases that require prompt investigation, and
support automatic closure of issues that are unlikely to have meaningful
security impact.
Published priority for this report: LOW
Manual review required: NO
A detailed explanation of the methodology and priority rules is included
at the end of this message.
======================================================================
AL-KERNEL CLASSIFICATION RESULT
======================================================================
CVE-2026-98674 LOW https://www.kernelcve.org/list/?q=CVE-2026-98674 CHECK WITH IMPACT FROM ORIG NN MODERATE | AEGIS IMPACT MODERATE AEGIS_AS=0 LEGACY=LOW RESULT=DIFF (final Legacy and Aegis differ; FINAL: LOW, Aegis: MODERATE) Maybe valid. Check manually. Hints by AL-KERNEL: The best (paranoid) CVSS is 'AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H';CWE-665;CWE-667;CWE-362;BEST CVSS score: '4.7';DESCR 'The AXI ADC backend uses st lock to serialize register transactions, but probe can expose the backend lacking initialization of that mutex. Under contention the mutex slow path may operate on an invalid wait list and cause a NULL pointer dereference or internal list corruption, with kernel crash as the grounded security impact. For the CVSS the PR:L value reflects that a local user or process must be able to reach device operations that cause concurrent backend register access. AC:H reflects the need for contention or a timing window, while no direct information disclosure, controlled write, or privilege escalation primitive is established. Automated impact decision path. The original SimpleNet classifier selected MODERATE. The primary LLM estimated paranoid CVSS 4.7 and the production ActionableScore returned 2 with recommendation Ordinary Moderate. The production rules then evaluated CVSS thresholds and ActionableScore thresholds. Recorded rule transitions were CVSS and initial triage stage MODERATE to LOW because the CVSS score, vector or bug class threshold rule was applied. final reconciliation stage LOW to LOW because KP specialist did not establish a qualifying panic and the cross model evidence reconciliation rule was applied. The legacy KP specialist has no review artifact for this run. The legacy FD or DH downgrade specialist has no review artifact for this run. Exact triggered rule markers were DECREASED_TO_LOW_FROM_MODERATE_BASED_ON_GUESSCVSS_AND_CIANNH and KPANIC_UNSUPPORTED_REMOVED and V64_AEGIS_UNSUPPORTED_PROMOTION_BLOCKED. The independent weaker Aegis shadow evaluated CVSS 2.5 and ActionableScore 0 with primitive class CLASS_C and manual review REQUIRED. Its independently reconciled impact was MODERATE. The models disagreed but the aggregation rules retained the production result. The final reported impact is LOW.';YES REQUIRES MANUAL CHECK; ,and ActionableScore result is Ordinary Moderate (with actual score 2) MAYBE INIT SIMPLEFIX LINUS DECREASED_TO_LOW_FROM_MODERATE_BASED_ON_GUESSCVSS_AND_CIANNH KPANIC_UNSUPPORTED_REMOVED V64_AEGIS_UNSUPPORTED_PROMOTION_BLOCKED - - checked
======================================================================
ACTIONABLESCORE ANALYSIS
======================================================================
ActionableScore=2
PrimitiveClass=CLASS_C
RealUAF=NO
HostAdminRequired=UNKNOWN
NamespaceScopedPrivilege=UNKNOWN
ImportantCandidate=NO
ManualReview=RECOMMENDED
AutoDowngradeAllowed=YES
RequiresHostUID0=UNKNOWN
AuthorizationDecisionBypass=NO
ProtectedResourceImpact=NONE
B4PendingReview=NO
B4PendingConfirmed=NO
1. ActionableScore
* Raw base score: 2.
* Conservative score: 2.
* Raw paranoid score: 2.
* Paranoid score: 2.
* No floor or cap applied.
* Final recommended bucket: **Ordinary Moderate**::
2. Signal breakdown
* +1 weak/indirect corruption concern: the zeroed but uninitialized mutex can enter its slow path with an invalid wait-list structure. This supports invalid list-state manipulation, but not an attacker-directed target or payload.
* +1 reliable kernel crash/strong DoS: concurrent register transactions can plausibly cause a NULL dereference or fatal mutex/list failure.
* No race penalty: contention is required, but the supplied evidence does not establish a narrow, one-shot, or externally uncontrollable race.
* No local-unprivileged bonus: device-operation access is asserted conditionally, but the relevant IIO/backend interface and permissions are not shown.
* No controlled write, UAF, reclaim, disclosure, authorization bypass, or integrity impact is established. No additional availability point is awarded for the same crash.
3. Reachability analysis
The trigger requires concurrent access to AXI ADC backend register operations. The patch does not show which userspace interface reaches those operations, its device-node permissions, or whether a normal user, delegated service, or host administrator can complete the trigger. Thus host-admin and UID-0 requirements remain unknown. No namespace-scoped capability path, prior privileged setup, special hardware rarity, or reliably attacker-controlled timing sequence is established.
4. Primitive and severity reading
The exact defect is use of an uninitialized synchronization object whose invalid internal wait-list state may be consumed under contention. This is neither a UAF nor a confirmed attacker-controlled heap OOB write. The supported outcome is invalid mutex/list processing and kernel crash; useful corruption beyond that crash is not shown. It is therefore CLASS_C, not B5-R, B3-PENDING, or B4-PENDING. ImportantCandidate is NO and automatic downgrade remains allowed because no material non-crash exploit or trust-boundary primitive remains unresolved.
5. One-sentence report phrase
An uninitialized AXI ADC mutex can enter invalid wait-list processing under concurrent register access and crash the kernel, without a demonstrated reusable corruption primitive.
6. Manual review advice
MANUAL CHECK RECOMMENDED
Confirm the exposed device interface, permissions, and whether an attacker can reliably generate concurrent backend accesses.
7. Call-site confidence
Call-site confidence: medium
======================================================================
UPSTREAM PATCH SUMMARY
======================================================================
Patch: iio: adc: adi-axi-adc: Initialize state mutex [ Upstream
Commit: b473ee29aa0d39e7a7568b9675b15db2b0ae6057
Upstream URL: https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git/commit/?id=b473ee29aa0d39e7a7568b9675b15db2b0ae6057
Changed files:
drivers/iio/adc/adi-axi-adc.c
Diff excerpt:
Not included in this email. See the upstream URL for the full patch.
Full patch:
https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git/commit/?id=b473ee29aa0d39e7a7568b9675b15db2b0ae6057
======================================================================
DETAILED REPORT METHODOLOGY
======================================================================
The original Linux kernel CVE announcement for CVE-2026-98674 can be found here:
https://lore.kernel.org/linux-cve-announce/?q=CVE-2026-98674
The original CVE announcement normally does not include a security-level
estimate. In particular, it may not contain a CVSS assessment, an impact
level, or enough information to determine whether the reported bug is a
practically relevant security issue. One purpose of this parallel CVE list
is to provide that missing technical and prioritization information.
The original goal of the AL-KERNEL project was to prioritize Linux kernel
CVE analysis automatically before manual review. The system can also help
identify non-security issues that may be suitable for automatic closure.
This report was generated by AL-KERNEL, an AI-assisted Linux kernel
vulnerability analysis system developed by Alexander Larkin.
The first analysis stage combines an autonomous classifier with additional
LLM-based analysis. The autonomous classifier runs locally on a CPU and is
based on a backpropagation neural network. Together, these mechanisms
produce a technical vulnerability description, identify likely weakness
types, estimate CVSS severity, and provide input for ActionableScore.
Two CVSS estimates are retained because incomplete kernel vulnerability
information often permits more than one defensible interpretation:
Conservative CVSS vector: Not available
The Best / paranoid CVSS vector: AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
The Best / paranoid CVSS score: 4.7
The conservative vector represents a lower-impact interpretation.
The Best/paranoid vector intentionally represents a plausible upper-bound
interpretation and should not automatically be treated as demonstrated
real-world impact.
CVSS may also need to be adjusted for a particular Linux deployment,
because actual reachability, privileges, enabled kernel configuration,
hardware, namespaces, exposed device nodes, and other environmental
conditions can differ significantly between systems.
A separate ActionableScore mechanism evaluates practical remediation
urgency. Its analysis may include reachability, attack prerequisites,
subsystem exposure, memory-corruption characteristics, denial-of-service
reliability, and possible confidentiality, integrity, or
privilege-escalation impact.
Conservative ActionableScore: unknown
Paranoid ActionableScore: 2
The final base severity is taken directly from the second tab-separated
field of the AL-KERNEL classification result. ActionableScore does not
replace or independently override that final AL-KERNEL decision, and
if ActionableScore adjusted impact level of ALKERNEL, then you would see
self-readable flags above like INCREASED_TO_HIGH_BASED_ON_ACTIONABLESCOREHIGHEREQTHAN7.
For an AL-KERNEL result of MODERATE, this report uses the following
additional presentation split:
ActionableScore below 5 -> MODERATE REGULAR
ActionableScore 5 or more -> MODERATE 7.0
The distinction between MODERATE REGULAR and MODERATE 7.0 makes it
possible to identify Moderate issues that should receive manual analysis
and fixes before lower-priority MODERATE REGULAR issues. In many cases,
MODERATE REGULAR fixes may wait for a later rebase or routine update.
There is one override in which MODERATE REGULAR becomes MODERATE 7.0
even when the ActionableScore is below 5. When the AL-KERNEL result
contains the KPANIC flag, a MODERATE result is always presented as
MODERATE 7.0. The KPANIC flag selected with few regexps without
usage of AI at all, so it helps to detect cases when Kernel Crash happens
and similar (to filter False-Negative results from the LLM usage).
KPANIC indicates that a reliable kernel crash, kernel panic, or similarly
serious kernel availability impact was identified by the classification
workflow.
AL-KERNEL base severity for this report: LOW
KPANIC detected for this report: NO
Published priority for this report (same as in Subject): LOW
These results are intended to support engineering triage. They are
machine-generated estimates, and cases marked for manual review should
be validated by a human security engineer before final disposition.
For more info read docs linked from here: https://kernelcve.org/
(and you can submit you own patch there to generate such a report
for non-existant CVE-id yet).
Note that in many cases this AI tool selects higher severity, than
real is (means you can expect Importants instead of Moderate 7.0 or
Moderates 7.0 instead of regular Moderates). If you see such cases,
please use reply email interface to add additional manual analyses
info to this particular CVE.
And please, please, let me know when you see Lows instead of Importants
or Important instead of Low (because particular for such cases I
need to tune this AI tool to make it better for this one and next similar).
My contact email for such notifications is [email protected] (and both
send reply to CVE record itself too and see "reply" button below for howto reply).
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