CVE-2026-98609: Linux kernel · drm/virtio: fix object leak when drm_gem_handle_create() fails
Affects Linux kernelSource GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 5.7 Medium.
Data as of 28 Oct 2026, 01:28 UTC
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:NExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 18 Oct 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.
Description
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.
References
- ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2026-98609 (opens in a new tab)
- cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-98609 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/264ae8ac8fd625b6c118baf16c111adeee2ec632 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/e2edd2d78d2cf8446de017adec9598feefed3297 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/36570ef2244cc4d7563b1f0157bc0f032498638c (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/372e9c3d45f664a2c000427ccbf6cdc2f99b3170 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/a93dce15dfef200c346b050a2acbed516cc62706 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/687be2f8b5e0e0ca9a7028f8f6413d0ed3fbb9dc (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/f75066c79d1eec453c0d386ef8636873d1e11f2c (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/13423a058187c2039aa8cb235c916be4477221b7 (opens in a new tab)