CVE-2026-97986
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: virtio_input: stop callbacks before unregistering input device virtinput_remove() unregisters the input device before resetting the virtio device. virtinput_recv_events() drops vi->lock around input_event(), so clearing vi->ready does not stop a callback that passed the entry check. It can still use vi->idev, requeue buffers and kick the queue. Reset first, as virtinput_freeze() already does. With the preceding core change, reset waits for callbacks before input_unregister_device() can free vi->idev. Recheck vi->ready after taking the lock again: keep draining completed events so an input packet is not truncated, but stop requeueing buffers and kicking the queue. With evdev attached, input_unregister_handle() currently waits for an RCU grace period, which also waits out IRQ callbacks. This masks the lifetime bug on PCI and MMIO, but does not protect sleepable callbacks on other transports.
Affected versions
Linux kernel versions
4.1
and later are affected. Fixed in
6.1.189,
6.6.158,
6.12.111,
6.18.53,
7.2.7,
7.3-rc3
and their respective stable series.
References
6 totalFrequently asked questions
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What is CVE-2026-97986?
CVE-2026-97986 is a unscored severity Linux kernel vulnerability . It affects Linux kernel versions from 4.1 onward and has been patched in 6.1.189, 6.6.158, 6.12.111 and others. CVE-2026-97986 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
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Is there a patch available for CVE-2026-97986?
Yes. CVE-2026-97986 has been patched. Fixed versions include 6.1.189, 6.6.158, 6.12.111 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 4.1 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.
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Is CVE-2026-97986 actively exploited?
No. CVE-2026-97986 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.