CVE-2026-98825 rtc: mpfs: fix unchecked devm_clk_get() error pointer in probe()
A missing error check in the Linux kernel RTC driver causes a crash when clock retrieval fails, leading to local 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-2026-98825?
CVE-2026-98825 is a 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:
rtc: mpfs: fix unchecked devm_clk_get() error pointer in probe()
devm_clk_get(&pdev->dev, "rtcref")'s return value was passed straight into clk_get_rate() without checking it for an error first, unlike the "rtc" clock a few lines above which is correctly checked with IS_ERR(). clk_get_rate() only guards against a NULL clk, not an error pointer:
if (!clk) return 0; ... rate = clk_core_get_rate_recalc(clk->core);
so if devm_clk_get() ever returns an error pointer here (for example ERR_PTR(-EPROBE_DEFER), which is the normal, expected outcome if the clkcfg clock-provider this RTC depends on has not registered its clocks yet by the time this driver probes), clk_get_rate() dereferences that error pointer instead of returning 0, crashing instead of letting probe defer.
Capture the clock in the existing 'clk' local and check it with IS_ERR() before calling clk_get_rate(), matching the handling already used for the "rtc" clock in this same function.
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-98825?
How do I fix CVE-2026-98825?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Is CVE-2026-98825 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-98825 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as AZL-109254, BELL-CVE-2026-98825, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-98825, GHSA-44qj-hfjm-pr88, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-98825.