Resource leaks via incorrect ioctl reference release
Published Oct 18, 2026 · Updated Oct 18, 2026
Resource leaks in Linux's virtio GPU driver allow local users to retain memory and GPU resources via failed resource-creation ioctls. In virtio_gpu_resource_create_ioctl(), the drm_gem_handle_create() error path calls drm_gem_object_release() without dropping the owned reference, bypassing object destruction and leaking backing pages, the scatter-gather table, resource IDs, and host-side resources. Triggering requires access to the virtio GPU device and a handle-creation failure; the published evidence establishes resource leakage, not a demonstrated crash or privilege escalation.
Summary
What happened
Resource leaks in Linux's virtio GPU driver allow local users to retain memory and GPU resources via failed resource-creation ioctls. In virtio_gpu_resource_create_ioctl(), the drm_gem_handle_create() error path calls drm_gem_object_release() without dropping the owned reference, bypassing object destruction and leaking backing pages, the scatter-gather table, resource IDs, and host-side resources. Triggering requires access to the virtio GPU device and a handle-creation failure; the published evidence establishes resource leakage, not a demonstrated crash or privilege escalation.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-98608
- Published
- Oct 18, 2026
- Updated
- Oct 18, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- Unavailable
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- Unavailable
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Oct 18, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Oct 18, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=4.4
- Affected versionversion=62fb7a5e10962ac6ae2a2d2dbd3aedcb2a3e3257 <1586ee6107acab3b14510ac6af939f1253269df8
- Affected versionversion=62fb7a5e10962ac6ae2a2d2dbd3aedcb2a3e3257 <477bc3068fc3777b9d8ffd79e265b0dfdf2d3a6b
- Affected versionversion=62fb7a5e10962ac6ae2a2d2dbd3aedcb2a3e3257 <574ae9fa5fd3658bee23cb544fe5a0d1d750016a
- Affected versionversion=62fb7a5e10962ac6ae2a2d2dbd3aedcb2a3e3257 <749d8bb964b3414ef967d5ec80f2f1b5b3a510d9
- Affected versionversion=62fb7a5e10962ac6ae2a2d2dbd3aedcb2a3e3257 <77dee8e9106d62bf4f51b646c801f51f8ee77339
- Affected versionversion=62fb7a5e10962ac6ae2a2d2dbd3aedcb2a3e3257 <83c899104496677068fbbd2e42f28fd625f9cd85
- Affected versionversion=62fb7a5e10962ac6ae2a2d2dbd3aedcb2a3e3257 <b516446a25bf365cfffe3d7884ea6637f7f70862
- Affected versionversion=62fb7a5e10962ac6ae2a2d2dbd3aedcb2a3e3257 <d33d5ef8225538f76e4598c09e2074834667bb8d
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Activity data is delayed. The latest report is Sep 28, 2026.
Weakness, pattern, technique
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Public exploit references
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Technologies
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