# CVE-2026-98397: platform/x86: x86-android-tablets: hold device reference for secondary fwnode teardown

> A use-after-free in the Linux kernel x86-android-tablets driver allows local attackers to potentially execute code or escalate privileges during device teardown.

- **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:** 14 Oct 2026
- **Updated:** 19 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2026-98397, GHSA-hwxj-pq7h-rq2r, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-98397

## What is CVE-2026-98397?

CVE-2026-98397 is an use after free vulnerability in Linux, published on 14 Oct 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:

platform/x86: x86-android-tablets: hold device reference for secondary fwnode teardown

In gpio_secondary_fwnode_init(), acpi_bus_find_device_by_name() returns a
device reference, but the local dev variable is declared with
__free(put_device), dropping the reference at the end of each iteration.
Meanwhile, devm_add_action_or_reset() saves the dev pointer for
gpio_secondary_unset() without incrementing its reference count, which
could lead to a use-after-free during driver teardown if the device is
released in the interim.

Acquire an explicit device reference with get_device() when registering
the devres action, and drop it with put_device() inside
gpio_secondary_unset().

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-98397?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-98397?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-98397 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-98397 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-98397 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-98397 is an use after free vulnerability in Linux, published on 14 Oct 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-2026-98397 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-2026-98397/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-98397/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-98397
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98397
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-98397

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-98397/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.