CVE-2026-98198
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: hwmon: (pwm-fan) Stop RPM timer before freeing tach data sample_timer() rearms the RPM timer and accesses the devm-managed ctx->tachs and ctx->pulses_per_revolution arrays. The cleanup action which stops the timer is registered before those arrays are allocated. Since devres releases entries in reverse order, driver detach can free the arrays before pwm_fan_cleanup() shuts down the timer. A timer expiry in that window accesses the freed tach data. With a KASAN kernel, a test-only kprobe delayed entry to pwm_fan_cleanup() while normal sysfs unbind ran. Each of three runs reported three four-byte reads and two four-byte writes in sample_timer() after its backing devm allocations had been freed. The helper did not invoke the timer callback, cleanup actions or free functions. With the fix, three matching unbind runs completed without KASAN, BUG, WARNING, Oops or panic. Instrumentation confirmed that timer retirement completed before the first timer backing allocation was released. Split timer retirement from the power cleanup and register its devres action after the timer backing data and IRQ actions are installed. This preserves the early power rollback action while ensuring the timer is retired before its backing data is released. Use timer_shutdown_sync() because the callback can rearm itself.
Affected versions
Linux kernel versions
5.12
and later are affected. Fixed in
6.12.112,
6.18.54,
7.2.8,
7.3-rc4
and their respective stable series.
References
4 totalFrequently asked questions
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What is CVE-2026-98198?
CVE-2026-98198 is a unscored severity Linux kernel vulnerability . It affects Linux kernel versions from 5.12 onward and has been patched in 6.12.112, 6.18.54, 7.2.8 and others. CVE-2026-98198 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-2026-98198?
Yes. CVE-2026-98198 has been patched. Fixed versions include 6.12.112, 6.18.54, 7.2.8 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 5.12 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.
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Is CVE-2026-98198 actively exploited?
No. CVE-2026-98198 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.