CVE-2026-98657 iio: proximity: pulsedlight: fix iio_device left registered on PM setup failure
A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's pulsedlight proximity driver allows local attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Not needed
- Attackable
- Local or same network only
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- Available
What is CVE-2026-98657?
CVE-2026-98657 is an use after free vulnerability in Linux, published on 18 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:
iio: proximity: pulsedlight: fix iio_device left registered on PM setup failure
pm_runtime_set_active() failing in probe() jumps to error_unreg_buffer, which only calls iio_triggered_buffer_cleanup() -- it does not undo the iio_device_register() that already succeeded a few lines above. probe() then returns the error, the devm-managed indio_dev is freed, but the iio core still has it registered: the sysfs/chardev nodes stay live and point at freed memory.
Add an error_unreg_dev label that unregisters the iio device before falling through to the existing buffer cleanup, mirroring the teardown order already used in lidar_remove().
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-98657?
How do I fix CVE-2026-98657?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Upgrade to the fixed version. These bugs are found with fuzzing and sanitisers and avoided by memory-safe languages. More about Use after free.
Is CVE-2026-98657 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-98657 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as AZL-108623, BELL-CVE-2026-98657, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-98657, GHSA-26f7-hh7p-wmqm, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-98657.