CVE Watchtower

CVE-2026-90587NULL Pointer Dereference

NVDCVSS scored by vulnerabilities@zephyrproject.org

Vulnerability Summary

usbh_device_init() in subsys/usb/host/usbh_device.c rejects a device whose device descriptor advertises bNumConfigurations == 0, but it only logs the error and jumps to the cleanup label without setting the return code. At that point the local err is still 0 from the preceding successful descriptor read, so the function returns success while having skipped usbh_device_set_configuration() β€” the only place udev->cfg_desc is allocated. The device structure is zero-initialised by usbh_device_alloc(), so udev->cfg_desc remains NULL.

usbh_device_connect() treats the zero return as a successful enumeration and calls usbh_class_probe_device(), which starts its descriptor walk from udev->cfg_desc. usbh_desc_get_next_function() passes that NULL pointer to usbh_desc_is_valid(), whose only guard compares the caller-supplied size, so head->bLength is read through a NULL pointer.

The condition is triggered entirely by the attached peripheral: attaching a USB device (or any USB gadget emulating one) that reports bNumConfigurations = 0 reaches the defect directly from the UHC_EVT_DEV_CONNECTED_FS/_HS event handler in subsys/usb/host/usbh_core.c, with no authentication and no user interaction beyond the physical attachment.

On targets where page zero is unmapped or CONFIG_NULL_POINTER_EXCEPTION_DETECTION is enabled this raises a fatal exception in the USB host thread, denying service to the host. Where address zero is readable, the descriptor walker instead parses low memory as a descriptor chain and can dispatch a class probe() with attacker-influenced values, causing further out-of-bounds reads through the still-NULL udev->cfg_desc in usbh_desc_get_iface(). No attacker-controlled write was identified, so the impact is availability plus a bounded out-of-bounds read. Note that CONFIG_USB_HOST_STACK is marked experimental.
Severity Level
MEDIUM(4.6)
Published Date
Nov 9, 2026
Last Modified
Nov 12, 2026
Exploitation Status
No confirmed exploitation yet
CVE Record Status
Published
EPSS Score (30-Day)
0.18%Probability
Root Weakness (CWE)
The product dereferences a pointer that it expects to be valid but is NULL, typically causing a crash or exit.
CVSS v3.1 Base Metrics — Score 4.6 (MEDIUM)
CVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Attack VectorPhysical
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges RequiredNone
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
ConfidentialityNone
IntegrityNone
AvailabilityHigh

Affected & Patched Versions

Affected Versions
Not provided by NVD for this CVE.
Patched Versions
No patched version published yet
Until a fix ships, reduce exposure:
  • Restrict access to the affected service or interface to trusted networks.
  • Disable the affected feature if you do not need it.
  • Watch the vendor advisory for a firmware or software update.

What to do

Fix it during your normal patch cycle. No exploitation is confirmed yet.

  1. Check whether you run the affected product and which version.
  2. No patched version is listed yet. Limit access to the affected service to trusted networks, and disable the feature if you can.
  3. Subscribe to the vendor advisory so you learn when a fix ships.

Timeline

  • Nov 9, 2026Published
  • Nov 12, 2026Record last modified

Score, severity and exploitation changes are tracked from the day Watchtower started logging them.

Get alerts for CVEs like this oneYou are reading CVE-2026-90587. Get an email when KEV listings, exploits or new CVEs match your stack.
Set up CVE alerts

Data last checked: Nov 9, 2026 23:01 UTC