# 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.

- **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:** 18 Oct 2026
- **Updated:** 21 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-109254, BELL-CVE-2026-98825, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-98825, GHSA-44qj-hfjm-pr88, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-98825

## 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.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-98825 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: 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.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-98825 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-2026-98825/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-98825/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-98825
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98825
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-98825

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-98825/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.