Memory leak in Linux kernel sdio_uart when port table is full
Key facts
- Attack vector
- —
- Privileges required
- —
- User interaction
- —
- Attack complexity
- —
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- —
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 6 without a fix
No CVSS vector from any source. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.
Summary
The Linux kernel from 2.6.34 is affected in the mmc sdio_uart driver. When all slots in the port table are taken, sdio_uart_add_port() returns -EBUSY with its transmit fifo still allocated, and the probe error path frees only the port, leaking the fifo. Each failed port registration leaks memory.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-07
Description from the CNA
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mmc: sdio_uart: fix xmit_fifo leak when the port table is full sdio_uart_add_port() allocates the transmit fifo before claiming a slot in sdio_uart_table[]. When all UART_NR slots are taken, it returns -EBUSY with the fifo still allocated, but the probe error path only kfree()s the port, leaking the transmit fifo. Free the fifo in the failure path of sdio_uart_add_port() itself so the function retains nothing on error.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 2.6.34 and later | 5.10.271, 5.15.222, 6.1.189, 6.6.158, 6.12.112, 6.18.54, 7.2.8, 7.3 | Patch available | CNA |
- Linux VendorLinux Affected 2.6.34 and later Fixed in 5.10.271, 5.15.222, 6.1.189, 6.6.158, 6.12.112, 6.18.54, 7.2.8, 7.3 Patch available CNA
Remediation
Linux kernel fixed versions are 5.10.271, 5.15.222, 6.1.189, 6.6.158, 6.12.112, 6.18.54, 7.2.8 and 7.3. Red Hat lists Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7, 8, 9 and 10, and Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 and 5, as affected with no fix available.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-07
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.10.271, 5.15.222, 6.1.189, 6.6.158, 6.12.112, 6.18.54, 7.2.8, 7.3
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Low. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 5 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
Not affected: 1 product
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
Timeline
- 2026-10-06 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-98208
- 2026-10-06 Alias added: GHSA-4c3r-52hj-39rr
- 2026-10-09 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-09 CVSS score added · Red Hat
- 2026-10-19 Fix available: Linux/[email protected] · CNA
- 2026-11-07 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
References
Other 8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9e992d59138fcfaa4bad7cc0750265b0a8bca100
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b97b5b66c93cb4aaf6358727a73fff880a774dfd
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8a2c1bf209ba04cbd14153a771724bd5aa522fcd
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/72f4c2b7a48423c708f2c348585419a1b71ab04c
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fd8223c53ad9553b2a349d2a40e19bbc6e60fc48
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ac866db277a4c73e84b4263773652e3aba326249
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5e142adbbdc54afbd01fad476c91cded41d22594
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/53823e25793a97d07e6e98e0904bbf74cac8bc76
More Linux vulnerabilities
- TI-2025-26358 tls: fix handling of zero-length records on the rx_list KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2026-38352 netfilter: bridge: make ebt_snat ARP rewrite writable KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2021-02452 Incorrect authorization in Ubuntu linux kernel KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2013-05264 The (1) get_user and (2) put_user API functions in the Linux kernel before 3.5.5 on the… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2022-00125 Integer overflow in kernel KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
- TI-2013-01864 The perf_swevent_init function in kernel/events/core.c in the Linux kernel before 3.8.9… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
Sources
- CVE-2026-98208 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-98208 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-4c3r-52hj-39rr · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-98208 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences