CVE-2026-23370

Vulnerability

The Linux kernel's dell-wmi-sysman driver contains a vulnerability in the set_new_password() function, which performs a hex dump of the entire input buffer. This buffer includes plaintext password data, specifically the current and new passwords [1].

Exploitation

The hex dump output is typically logged to the kernel log (e.g., via printk), making it accessible to any local user with permission to read kernel logs. No special privileges beyond local access may be required if logs are world-readable.

Impact

An attacker with local access to kernel logs can retrieve plaintext passwords for the Dell WMI sysman interface, leading to credential exposure.

Mitigation

The fix removes the offending hex dump call. The patch has been applied to multiple stable kernel trees [1][2][3][4]. Users should update to the latest stable kernels to protect against this information leak.