Reference leak in the Linux kernel nouveau driver
Key facts
- Attack vector
- —
- Privileges required
- —
- User interaction
- —
- Attack complexity
- —
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- —
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 7 without a fix
No CVSS vector from any source. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.
Summary
The nouveau DRM driver in the Linux kernel from 4.17.12 before 4.18 and from 4.18 leaks a GEM object reference in validate_init(). When ttm_bo_reserve() fails or a VMA is not found, the loop exits without releasing the reference taken by drm_gem_object_lookup().
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: drm/nouveau: Fix gem reference leak in validate_init() On the ttm_bo_reserve() failure and "vma not found" error paths, the loop breaks without adding the looked-up object to any validate list, so the reference taken by drm_gem_object_lookup() is never released; validate_fini() only walks the spliced lists. Drop the reference before breaking out on both paths.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
Remediation
Update the Linux kernel to 4.18 if running 4.17.12 before 4.18, or to 5.10.271, 5.15.222, 6.1.189, 6.6.158, 6.12.112, 6.18.55, 7.2.9 or 7.3 if running 4.18 or later on the affected branches. Red Hat rates this Low and lists no fix available for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7, 8, 9 and 10 and OpenShift Container Platform 4 and 5, and no fix planned for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-06
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 4.18
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.10.271, 5.15.222, 6.1.189, 6.6.158, 6.12.112, 6.18.55, 7.2.9, 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 6 | Affected | No fix planned: Out of support scope |
| 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 |
Timeline
- 2026-10-18 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-98514
- 2026-10-18 Alias added: GHSA-g33v-35j5-pxgw
- 2026-10-19 Fix available: Linux/[email protected] · CNA
- 2026-10-20 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-20 CVSS score added · Red Hat
- 2026-10-30 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
References
Other 8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/af2f48c12365866abb327d75c21a13bbde84719c
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3c80e069470cf73c357c9edb5ec5fba20e6f6a98
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/957619120c26d6727efd18504e6b488673d3900a
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/74485cdc343060fce08f8f3990da524d783e43a7
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8281930fc194ad448aaa5de8dd47fb6fb1cba327
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/030e93fc91d55d9487b3b85fc0712bb795d77834
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9e13c398a23445baf38f0a59033dd9872a2bfe20
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5ea72f7b7139b123713a7983448f910bc4514d9e
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-2026-98514 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-98514 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-g33v-35j5-pxgw · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-98514 · 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