CVE-2026-98609
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: drm/virtio: fix object leak when drm_gem_handle_create() fails virtio_gpu_gem_create() owns the reference taken by virtio_gpu_object_create(). On the drm_gem_handle_create() error path it calls drm_gem_object_release() instead of dropping that reference. drm_gem_object_release() is the inverse of drm_gem_object_init() and does not touch the reference count or call obj->funcs->free(), so it is only correct as the last step of a destructor, as in virtio_gpu_cleanup_object(). Using it here leaves the bo at refcount 1 with no remaining reference, so virtio_gpu_free_object() never runs and the shmem pages, sg table and virtio_gpu_object are leaked. Since virtio_gpu_object_create() has already set bo->created, VIRTIO_GPU_CMD_RESOURCE_UNREF is not queued either, leaking the host-side resource and the resource id. drm_gem_handle_create_tail() drops the handle reference on all of its internal error paths, so the caller only has to drop its own. Use drm_gem_object_put(), matching the success path below.
Affected versions
Linux kernel versions
4.2
and later are affected. 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
and their respective stable series.
References
8 totalFrequently asked questions
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What is CVE-2026-98609?
CVE-2026-98609 is a unscored severity Linux kernel vulnerability . It affects Linux kernel versions from 4.2 onward and has been patched in 5.10.271, 5.15.222, 6.1.189 and others. CVE-2026-98609 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-2026-98609?
Yes. CVE-2026-98609 has been patched. Fixed versions include 5.10.271, 5.15.222, 6.1.189 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 4.2 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.
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Is CVE-2026-98609 actively exploited?
No. CVE-2026-98609 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.