[PATCH] fbdev:modedb: fix a possible UAF in fb_find_mode()

From: Tuo Li

Date: Tue May 26 2026 - 05:21:45 EST


If mode_option is NULL, it is assigned from mode_option_buf:

if (!mode_option) {
fb_get_options(NULL, &mode_option_buf);
mode_option = mode_option_buf;
}

Later, name is assigned from mode_option:

const char *name = mode_option;

However, mode_option_buf is freed before name is no longer used:

kfree(mode_option_buf);

while name is still accessed by:

if ((name_matches(db[i], name, namelen) ||

Since name aliases mode_option_buf, this may result in a
use-after-free.

Fix this by moving the kfree(mode_option_buf) call behind the access, and
add corresponding cleanup before early returns.

Signed-off-by: Tuo Li <islituo@xxxxxxxxx>
---
drivers/video/fbdev/core/modedb.c | 8 ++++++--
1 file changed, 6 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/drivers/video/fbdev/core/modedb.c b/drivers/video/fbdev/core/modedb.c
index 703d0b7aec32..91f6c78f9e19 100644
--- a/drivers/video/fbdev/core/modedb.c
+++ b/drivers/video/fbdev/core/modedb.c
@@ -724,7 +724,6 @@ int fb_find_mode(struct fb_var_screeninfo *var,
res_specified = 1;
}
done:
- kfree(mode_option_buf);
if (cvt) {
struct fb_videomode cvt_mode;
int ret;
@@ -749,6 +748,7 @@ int fb_find_mode(struct fb_var_screeninfo *var,

if (!ret && !fb_try_mode(var, info, &cvt_mode, bpp)) {
DPRINTK("modedb CVT: CVT mode ok\n");
+ kfree(mode_option_buf);
return 1;
}

@@ -793,8 +793,10 @@ int fb_find_mode(struct fb_var_screeninfo *var,
if (!interlace_specified ||
db_interlace == interlace)
if (refresh_specified &&
- db[i].refresh == refresh)
+ db[i].refresh == refresh) {
+ kfree(mode_option_buf);
return 1;
+ }

if (score < diff) {
diff = score;
@@ -802,6 +804,8 @@ int fb_find_mode(struct fb_var_screeninfo *var,
}
}
}
+
+ kfree(mode_option_buf);
if (best != -1) {
fb_try_mode(var, info, &db[best], bpp);
return (refresh_specified) ? 2 : 1;
--
2.43.0