Dangling pointer in Linux kernel HID Steam driver during teardown
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA.
Summary
The Linux kernel HID Steam driver from 6.3 is affected. Its teardown sequence left a window in which callbacks could still be scheduled during cleanup, leaving a dangling pointer to the freed steam struct. A local user with low privileges can affect confidentiality, integrity and availability.
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: HID: steam: Rearrange teardown sequence This fixes a narrow window during the teardown sequence where callbacks could still be scheduled during cleanup that would then have a dangling pointer to the now-freed steam struct. This also puts work canceling for rumble and mode switch in steam_unregister, as that shouldn't persist while the client hdev is open.
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 6.6.160, 6.12.113, 6.18.57, 7.2.11 or 7.3, or a later version of the release branch containing these fixes.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-06
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 6.6.160, 6.12.113, 6.18.57, 7.2.11, 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
- 2026-10-23 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-98945
- 2026-10-23 Alias added: GHSA-fhx7-57xw-qfjc
- 2026-10-24 CVSS score added · CNA
- 2026-10-24 Priority changed: LOW → MEDIUM
- 2026-10-24 Priority changed: MEDIUM → LOW
- 2026-10-26 Fix available: Linux/Linux@0 · CNA
- 2026-10-30 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-30 CVSS score added · Red Hat
- 2026-11-06 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
References
Other 5
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d2587923d50c8b141ce0ccb284c714cf6054d6a7
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/81a8209c09f9be7eef860ca6cc154749a6b4d243
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/86724f4bcf6049c3a322f7a7b1f968210059c46a
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b5ea938ff776306798d3a11485c2475034f92131
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ddce9641ce924ed91ec8304577e463823a29ffaf
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Sources
- CVE-2026-98945 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-98945 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-fhx7-57xw-qfjc · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-98945 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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