# CVE-2026-97986: virtio_input: stop callbacks before unregistering input device

> A race condition in the Linux kernel virtio_input driver allows use-after-free, potentially leading to code execution or denial of service.

- **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:** 25 Sep 2026
- **Updated:** 19 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-104862, BELL-CVE-2026-97986, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-97986, GHSA-5v98-rq5r-8rxh, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-97986

## What is CVE-2026-97986?

CVE-2026-97986 is an use after free vulnerability in Linux, published on 25 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:

virtio_input: stop callbacks before unregistering input device

virtinput_remove() unregisters the input device before resetting the
virtio device. virtinput_recv_events() drops vi->lock around input_event(),
so clearing vi->ready does not stop a callback that passed the entry check.
It can still use vi->idev, requeue buffers and kick the queue.

Reset first, as virtinput_freeze() already does. With the preceding core
change, reset waits for callbacks before input_unregister_device() can
free vi->idev. Recheck vi->ready after taking the lock again: keep draining
completed events so an input packet is not truncated, but stop requeueing
buffers and kicking the queue.

With evdev attached, input_unregister_handle() currently waits for an RCU
grace period, which also waits out IRQ callbacks. This masks the lifetime
bug on PCI and MMIO, but does not protect sleepable callbacks on other
transports.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-97986?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-97986?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-97986 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-97986 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-97986 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-97986 is an use after free vulnerability in Linux, published on 25 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-2026-97986 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-2026-97986/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-97986/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-97986
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-97986
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-97986

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-97986/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.