CVE-2026-31604
MediumIn the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: rtw88: fix device leak on probe failure Driver core holds a reference to the USB interface and its parent USB device while the interface is bound to a driver and there is no need to take additional references unless the structures are needed after disconnect. This driver takes a reference to the USB device during probe but does not to release it on all probe errors (e.g. when descriptor parsing fails). Drop the redundant device reference to fix the leak, reduce cargo culting, make it easier to spot drivers where an extra reference is needed, and reduce the risk of further memory leaks.
CVSS 3.1 score
5.5
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Weakness type
CWE-401CVE-2026-31604 is a Memory Leak vulnerability
What is Memory Leak?
The product does not release memory after use, causing gradual resource exhaustion. Learn more on MITRE CWE
Affected versions
Linux kernel versions
6.2
and later are affected. Fixed in
6.6.136,
6.12.83,
6.18.24,
6.19.14,
7.0.1,
7.1-rc1
and their respective stable series.
References
The following references provide additional information about CVE-2026-31604 including vendor advisories, patch commits, exploit details, and third-party analysis. Links are sourced from the NIST NVD database.
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PatchKernel patch commithttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/25a827b7e1d5747a255bdc757f1d3e9e1e8a4e2a
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PatchKernel patch commithttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/89a9c1bc7d797120bcc290864e0cb10a440a677f
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PatchKernel patch commithttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a4f4371d194dfa5473cc961f86194084b1b13a69
Frequently asked questions
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What is CVE-2026-31604?
CVE-2026-31604 is a Medium severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10 , classified as a Memory Leak flaw (CWE-401) . It affects Linux kernel versions from 6.2 onward and has been patched in 6.6.136, 6.12.83, 6.18.24 and others. CVE-2026-31604 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
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What is the CVSS score for CVE-2026-31604?
CVE-2026-31604 has a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10, rated Medium severity (CVSS 3.1). The vector string is
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H. -
Is there a patch available for CVE-2026-31604?
Yes — CVE-2026-31604 has been patched. Fixed versions include 6.6.136, 6.12.83, 6.18.24 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 6.2 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.
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Is CVE-2026-31604 actively exploited?
No — CVE-2026-31604 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.
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What is Memory Leak (CWE-401)?
The product does not release memory after use, causing gradual resource exhaustion. View CWE-401 on MITRE CWE →