CVE-2026-97604: Linux kernel · fbdev: vfb: defer cleanup until the last reference
Affects Linux kernelSource GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 17:16 UTC
Rated by Threat Radar · CVSS not yet scored by NVD
- EPSS
- 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 11% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Exploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 25 Sep 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors
A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.
What to do
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinuxpkg:deb/ubuntu/linux?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-awspkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-aws?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-azurepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-azure-fdepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure-fde?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-gcppkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-gcp?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-gkepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-gke?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.
AI-suggested
A fix is available that defers the cleanup of the framebuffer's colormap and screen buffer until the last reference is released by moving cleanup into an fb_destroy callback. Users should apply the official kernel updates that include this fix. No additional mitigation steps are indicated by the vendor advisory.
Description
A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's framebuffer device (fbdev) virtual framebuffer (vfb) driver was resolved. The issue occurs because the colormap is freed immediately after unregistering the framebuffer, even if an open file still holds a reference, leading to a potential use-after-free during an ioctl operation. The fix defers cleanup until the last reference is released, preventing concurrent access to freed memory.
References
- ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2026-97604 (opens in a new tab)
- cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-97604 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/86356f13598f59f5acb1754895747dcdaf65a254 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/5ff1effb047e465cde193d7df95988aa1520035e (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/a0a34a40ed299c9c7cff6af163a5b883ee9d6d73 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/3c91e51a53cf805e551e5dc8149cd0539a6dbb9d (opens in a new tab)
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-97604 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/040ce3950f64a11e9ee5646c8aaa91fd2e29e245 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/ab664e279eb2a68e55895dd115a9488807280f07 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/bf49eac7ed11aabd0b9b790c062742a8e4be97c6 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/de5a0eda59fe4b3eacd1a67c992e54766bb6683f (opens in a new tab)