CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2026-72067NVD status: Received

Linux: Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions

Published Updated By the CyberSecBulletin desk

CVE-2026-72067 is a high-severity improper check for unusual or exceptional conditions vulnerability in Linux, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8 out of 10. It can be exploited with local access to the system by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. The record lists versions fe9c8d641f6991614d1229a3ffd3e33b879bba9c, ef39758637cc5b603fb05b625c45a98aa306e338, 95232281512b15338549171ed9a2acf21f946ffb as the first without the flaw, so updating Linux to one of those releases or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.18% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.

Next patch cycle

High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.

What to do

  1. Update Linux to fe9c8d641f6991614d1229a3ffd3e33b879bba9c or ef39758637cc5b603fb05b625c45a98aa306e338 or 95232281512b15338549171ed9a2acf21f946ffb or 7a68257b90d8a9b6d605abc99469ded45ecba63b, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
LinuxLinux724a86881d03ee5794148e65142e24ed3621be66 up to, but not including, fe9c8d641f6991614d1229a3ffd3e33b879bba9c; 724a86881d03ee5794148e65142e24ed3621be66 up to, but not including, ef39758637cc5b603fb05b625c45a98aa306e338; 724a86881d03ee5794148e65142e24ed3621be66 up to, but not including, 95232281512b15338549171ed9a2acf21f946ffb; 724a86881d03ee5794148e65142e24ed3621be66 up to, but not including, 7a68257b90d8a9b6d605abc99469ded45ecba63b; 724a86881d03ee5794148e65142e24ed3621be66 up to, but not including, 77d4fa8a3ea1c3e8b996ac35e59aee9e77389905; 724a86881d03ee5794148e65142e24ed3621be66 up to, but not including, f77117530fc3f5932ffb107182a6dd34006be9b6; 724a86881d03ee5794148e65142e24ed3621be66 up to, but not including, 9f7dc355f62c011e4afe8286cf71130d4bfb9d80; 724a86881d03ee5794148e65142e24ed3621be66 up to, but not including, 673db10729fb121ea1b16fe57791a0cb9eac1eb5; and 1 more rangesfe9c8d641f6991614d1229a3ffd3e33b879bba9c, ef39758637cc5b603fb05b625c45a98aa306e338, 95232281512b15338549171ed9a2acf21f946ffb, 7a68257b90d8a9b6d605abc99469ded45ecba63b, 77d4fa8a3ea1c3e8b996ac35e59aee9e77389905, f77117530fc3f5932ffb107182a6dd34006be9b6

Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.

How the severity score breaks down

Attack vector
LocalThe attacker needs local access or must trick a user into running something.
Attack complexity
LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
Privileges required
LowA basic user account is enough.
User interaction
NoneNo action by a victim is required.
Scope
UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
Confidentiality
HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
Integrity
HighData or code can be modified at will.
Availability
HighThe component can be taken down completely.

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by CNA.

Official description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: cpu: hotplug: Preserve per instance callback errors cpuhp_invoke_callback() unwinds earlier callbacks for the same hotplug state when one instance fails. The rollback path currently reuses ret, so a successful rollback can hide the original error and make the failed transition look successful. Keep the rollback result separate from the original error.

Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.

The underlying weakness: Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions

The product does not check or incorrectly checks for unusual or exceptional conditions that are not expected to occur frequently during day to day operation of the product.

How developers prevent this class of flaw

  • Use a language that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid. Choose languages with features such as exception handling that force the programmer to anticipate unusual conditions that may generate exceptions. Custom exceptions may need to be developed to handle unusual business-logic conditions. Be careful not to pass sensitive exceptions back to the user (CWE-209, CWE-248).
  • Check the results of all functions that return a value and verify that the value is expected.
  • If using exception handling, catch and throw specific exceptions instead of overly-general exceptions (CWE-396, CWE-397). Catch and handle exceptions as locally as possible so that exceptions do not propagate too far up the call stack (CWE-705). Avoid unchecked or uncaught exceptions where feasible (CWE-248).

More Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions vulnerabilities (CWE-754)

Timeline

  1. CVE record published.
  2. CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
  3. Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).

References

Recent Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions vulnerabilities

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