# CVE-2026-89892: media: em28xx: defer audio-only extension registration

> A use-after-free in the Linux kernel em28xx driver allows local attackers to execute code or escalate privileges via a race condition during device probing.

- **Severity:** Not scored
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 16 Sep 2026
- **Updated:** 19 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-101174, BELL-CVE-2026-89892, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-89892, GHSA-gv4g-vvq5-j6r7, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-89892

## What is CVE-2026-89892?

CVE-2026-89892 is an use after free vulnerability in Linux, published on 16 Sep 2026. 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:

media: em28xx: defer audio-only extension registration

The audio-only path registers extensions while probing the primary device.
For a dual-TS board, this happens before dev_next is created. The duplicate
device inherits is_audio_only and is then independently inserted into
em28xx_devlist.

The list is intended to contain only primary devices: extension operations
reach the secondary device through dev_next. The independently linked
secondary can be freed during disconnect while its list node remains
reachable, resulting in a use-after-free.

Defer audio-only extension registration to the module-request work item. It
runs only after probing has completed construction of the optional
secondary device, so only the primary is registered and extension callbacks
reach the secondary through dev_next.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-89892?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-89892?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-89892 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-89892 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-89892 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-89892 is an use after free vulnerability in Linux, published on 16 Sep 2026. 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-2026-89892 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux. 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-2026-89892/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-89892/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-89892
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-89892
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-89892

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-89892/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.