CVE-2026-31604: wifi: rtw88: fix device leak on probe failure
In 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.
Affected Software
Remediation
Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.
- Upgrade
Upgrade
debian/linuxto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.1.176-1Fixed in 6.1.190-1Fixed in 6.12.107-1Fixed in 6.12.115-2Fixed in 7.2.12-1Fixed in 7.2.15-1 - Upgrade
Upgrade to a fixed release to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Patch wifi: rtw88: fix device leak on probe failure
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What systems are exposed to this issue?
Systems using the Linux kernel rtw88 Wi-Fi driver with a USB interface are relevant. The leak occurs when driver probe fails, including descriptor-parsing failures.
What access does an attacker need to exploit it?
The supplied vector indicates local access and low privileges are required, with no user interaction. The available data does not describe a remote exploitation path.
What is the practical impact?
The issue is a device-reference leak during failed driver initialization. Its stated impact is availability only; confidentiality and integrity impacts are not identified.
Are systems affected during normal successful driver operation?
The described leak is tied to probe error paths rather than successful initialization. In particular, it can occur when descriptor parsing fails.