Resource leak via unreleased I2C clock references
Published Oct 28, 2026 · Updated Oct 28, 2026
Linux's viai2c-wmt driver leaks clock references, allowing attackers to retain resources through probe failure or module unloading. The wmt_i2c_probe() function acquires i2c->clk with of_clk_get() but never balances that reference with clk_put() after subsequent failures or removal. The affected Wondermedia controller must be in use; attacker control over these lifecycle events and any resulting service interruption are undocumented.
Summary
What happened
Linux's viai2c-wmt driver leaks clock references, allowing attackers to retain resources through probe failure or module unloading. The wmt_i2c_probe() function acquires i2c->clk with of_clk_get() but never balances that reference with clk_put() after subsequent failures or removal. The affected Wondermedia controller must be in use; attacker control over these lifecycle events and any resulting service interruption are undocumented.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-99161
- Published
- Oct 28, 2026
- Updated
- Oct 28, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- Unavailable
- Attack vector
- Unavailable
- Privileges
- Unavailable
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Oct 28, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Oct 28, 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=3.11
- Affected versionversion=560746eb79d3124a278452c8dd968682b521cc82 <1875de656370c89b99a150d220df876288ee0344
- Affected versionversion=560746eb79d3124a278452c8dd968682b521cc82 <5d476bb76b7d72d8b7ed04a9c614900b097e3af7
- Affected versionversion=560746eb79d3124a278452c8dd968682b521cc82 <aaabefc79b0ff0018e8e3832169bbe359d0551fc
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
No CVSS assessment is available in this record.
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
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
No sourced classifications are available.
Public exploit references
No public exploit references are available in this record.
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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