---
id: "CVE-2026-98667"
kind: "vulnerability"
aliases: ["CVE-2026-98667"]
title: "Linux kernel: ADF4377 clock driver can read uninitialized parent fields"
severity: "unknown"
cvss: null
epss: null
exploited: false
status: "open"
category: "infrastructure"
products: []
ecosystems: []
tags: ["embedded", "iio", "infrastructure", "linux-kernel"]
not_affected_if: ["adf4377-driver-not-loaded", "default-stack-init-config"]
published_at: "2026-10-18T16:17:19+00:00"
first_seen_at: "2026-10-23T21:57:16+00:00"
updated_at: "2026-10-25T05:19:24+00:00"
sources: [{"source": "nvd", "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98667", "first_seen_at": "2026-10-23T21:57:16+00:00"}]
---

# Linux kernel: ADF4377 clock driver can read uninitialized parent fields

The Linux kernel's ADF4377 IIO frequency driver left parts of its clock init structures uninitialized, which can cause a crash when the kernel is built with stack-initialization debug options. The sources describe a stability bug with no stated remote exploit path.

_Summary, check and fix written by a model from the sources; labelled as such._

## How to check

- unknown

## Fix

- Update to a Linux kernel release that includes the upstream fix for the adf4377 clock initialization (commit not named in the sources)

## Timeline

- 2026-10-23T21:57:16+00:00 nvd https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98667

## From the sources

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

iio: frequency: adf4377: Fully initialize clk_init_data and clk_parent_data

The clk_init_data structure contains several mutually-exclusive members
for different methods to specify the possible parents of a clock,
prompting drivers to initialize only the members they need.  However,
not initializing all members may cause subtle issues, which are only
exposed when CONFIG_INIT_STACK_ALL_PATTERN or CONFIG_INIT_STACK_NONE is
enabled.

adf4377_clk_register() fills in init.parent_data, and assumes that
init.parent_names is NULL.  However, the latter is uninitialized, and
thus may cause a crash.

Similarly, adf4377_clk_register() fills in only parent_data.fw_name,
leaving other members of the clk_parent_data structure uninitialized.

Make sure all members are fully initialized, to fix such bugs, and to
avoid future breakage when converting drivers to a different method for
specifying the parents.

---

_Free to read at a human pace. An API with keys and an MCP server are in preparation; early access: hello@infrastack.ai_