In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mlxsw: spectrum_flower: Fix port range register leak in tmplt_create()… (CVE-2026-98948)

The Linux kernel's mlxsw_sp_flower_tmplt_create() function parses a flow_cls_offload template into a local structure to compute usage metrics. During parsing, port range registers are acquired via mlxsw_sp_flower_parse_ports_range(). However, these registers were not released because the structure did not go through the usual destroy function mlxsw_sp_acl_rulei_destroy(), which handles resource cleanup. This caused a port range register leak, including when chain templates were deleted. The patch factors out the resource release code from mlxsw_sp_acl_rulei_destroy() and calls it from mlxsw_sp_flower_tmplt_create() to fix the leak.

The vulnerability causes a resource leak of port range registers in the mlxsw spectrum_flower component of the Linux kernel. While this does not directly lead to code execution or privilege escalation, resource leaks can degrade system stability or performance over time if exploited or triggered repeatedly.

A fix has been implemented in the Linux kernel to properly release port range registers during flow template parsing. Users should apply the official kernel update containing this patch when it becomes available. No other mitigation steps are indicated.