Missing device reference causes use-after-free in x86-android-tablets
Key facts
- Attack vector
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- Privileges required
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- User interaction
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- Attack complexity
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- Impact type
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- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
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- Fix status
- Fixed
No CVSS vector from any source. Fix status from CNA.
Summary
The Linux kernel from 7.2 has a missing device reference in the x86-android-tablets platform driver. The secondary fwnode setup saves a device pointer for later teardown without holding a reference to that device, which can cause a use-after-free during driver teardown if the device is released first.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-06
Description from the CNA
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: platform/x86: x86-android-tablets: hold device reference for secondary fwnode teardown In gpio_secondary_fwnode_init(), acpi_bus_find_device_by_name() returns a device reference, but the local dev variable is declared with __free(put_device), dropping the reference at the end of each iteration. Meanwhile, devm_add_action_or_reset() saves the dev pointer for gpio_secondary_unset() without incrementing its reference count, which could lead to a use-after-free during driver teardown if the device is released in the interim. Acquire an explicit device reference with get_device() when registering the devres action, and drop it with put_device() inside gpio_secondary_unset().
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
Remediation
The Linux kernel fixed versions are 7.2.7 and 7.3.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-06
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 7.2.7, 7.3
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
Not affected: 7 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
- Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4
- Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 5
Timeline
- 2026-10-14 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-98397
- 2026-10-14 Alias added: GHSA-hwxj-pq7h-rq2r
- 2026-10-16 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-16 CVSS score added · Red Hat
- 2026-10-19 Fix available: Linux/[email protected] · CNA
- 2026-11-06 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
References
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Sources
- CVE-2026-98397 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-98397 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-hwxj-pq7h-rq2r · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-98397 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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