# CVE-2024-50197: pinctrl: intel: platform: fix error path in device_for_each_child_node()

> A missing reference count decrement in the Intel pinctrl driver can lead to memory leaks and potential denial of service.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 8 Nov 2024
- **Updated:** 11 May 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2024-50197, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-50197, GHSA-v43r-53w7-7crq, UBUNTU-CVE-2024-50197

## What is CVE-2024-50197?

CVE-2024-50197 is a medium-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 8 Nov 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

pinctrl: intel: platform: fix error path in device_for_each_child_node()

The device_for_each_child_node() loop requires calls to
fwnode_handle_put() upon early returns to decrement the refcount of
the child node and avoid leaking memory if that error path is triggered.

There is one early returns within that loop in
intel_platform_pinctrl_prepare_community(), but fwnode_handle_put() is
missing.

Instead of adding the missing call, the scoped version of the loop can
be used to simplify the code and avoid mistakes in the future if new
early returns are added, as the child node is only used for parsing, and
it is never assigned.

Weakness: CWE-401 (Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-50197?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-50197?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2024-50197 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-50197 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel

- [CVE-2026-53266](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53266/): Linux Kernel Out-of-Bounds Write (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-6282](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-6282/): Linux Kernel Improper Input Validation (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2022-0185](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0185/): Linux Kernel Heap-Based Buffer Overflow (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-2094](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-2094/): Linux Kernel Privilege Escalation (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-53362](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53362/): Linux Kernel Unspecified (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2024-50197 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-50197 is a medium-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 8 Nov 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-50197 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux kernel. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-50197/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-50197/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-50197
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-50197
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-50197

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-50197/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.