{"id":"CVE-2026-97972","state":"PUBLISHED","title":"net: macb: put the \"mdio\" child node reference on success","description":"In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nnet: macb: put the \"mdio\" child node reference on success\n\nmacb_mii_init() holds the reference returned by of_get_child_by_name()\nfor macb_mdiobus_register() and drops it only on the error paths, so\nevery successful probe leaks a node reference. On a CM5, overlay\nremoval after four bind cycles reports\n\n  OF: ERROR: memory leak, expected refcount 1 instead of 5\n\nDrop the reference after registration, where __mdiobus_register() has\nalready taken its own for the lifetime of the bus.","publishedAt":"2026-09-25T10:23:12.139Z","updatedAt":"2026-10-19T09:11:38.115Z","severity":null,"assigner":"Linux","products":["Linux Linux"],"affected":[{"vendor":"Linux","product":"Linux","defaultStatus":"unaffected","versions":[{"version":"8a6631f1cece09047fa44608d21d520ca65ce7d8","status":"affected","lessThan":"5fba30080d298edb742396073372385c961578d3","versionType":"git"},{"version":"8a6631f1cece09047fa44608d21d520ca65ce7d8","status":"affected","lessThan":"7d60dc7ff85b73a2119d582ca2d4456b30960380","versionType":"git"},{"version":"8a6631f1cece09047fa44608d21d520ca65ce7d8","status":"affected","lessThan":"382a373d9ea7a6ac4de9c022385b6217f65ae3cc","versionType":"git"}],"repo":"https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git","programFiles":["drivers/net/ethernet/cadence/macb_main.c"]},{"vendor":"Linux","product":"Linux","defaultStatus":"affected","versions":[{"version":"6.13","status":"affected"},{"version":"0","status":"unaffected","lessThan":"6.13","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"6.18.53","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"6.18.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"7.2.7","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"7.2.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"7.3","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"*","versionType":"original_commit_for_fix"}],"repo":"https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git","programFiles":["drivers/net/ethernet/cadence/macb_main.c"]}],"references":["https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5fba30080d298edb742396073372385c961578d3","https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7d60dc7ff85b73a2119d582ca2d4456b30960380","https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/382a373d9ea7a6ac4de9c022385b6217f65ae3cc"],"weaknesses":[],"ingestedAt":"2026-10-29T20:13:43.249Z","source":{"repository":"CVEProject/cvelistV5","path":"cves/2026/97xxx/CVE-2026-97972.json","commit":"556c9d3a8cd17e218bb8e452ba7cd619a384ff47"},"raw":{"dataType":"CVE_RECORD","dataVersion":"5.2","cveMetadata":{"cveId":"CVE-2026-97972","state":"PUBLISHED","datePublished":"2026-09-25T10:23:12.139Z","dateUpdated":"2026-10-19T09:11:38.115Z","assignerShortName":"Linux","assignerOrgId":"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67","dateReserved":"2026-09-25T10:18:58.207Z"},"containers":{"cna":{"title":"net: macb: put the \"mdio\" child node reference on success","descriptions":[{"lang":"en","value":"In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nnet: macb: put the \"mdio\" child node reference on success\n\nmacb_mii_init() holds the reference returned by of_get_child_by_name()\nfor macb_mdiobus_register() and drops it only on the error paths, so\nevery successful probe leaks a node reference. On a CM5, overlay\nremoval after four bind cycles reports\n\n  OF: ERROR: memory leak, expected refcount 1 instead of 5\n\nDrop the reference after registration, where __mdiobus_register() has\nalready taken its own for the lifetime of the bus."}],"affected":[{"vendor":"Linux","product":"Linux","defaultStatus":"unaffected","versions":[{"version":"8a6631f1cece09047fa44608d21d520ca65ce7d8","status":"affected","lessThan":"5fba30080d298edb742396073372385c961578d3","versionType":"git"},{"version":"8a6631f1cece09047fa44608d21d520ca65ce7d8","status":"affected","lessThan":"7d60dc7ff85b73a2119d582ca2d4456b30960380","versionType":"git"},{"version":"8a6631f1cece09047fa44608d21d520ca65ce7d8","status":"affected","lessThan":"382a373d9ea7a6ac4de9c022385b6217f65ae3cc","versionType":"git"}],"repo":"https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git","programFiles":["drivers/net/ethernet/cadence/macb_main.c"]},{"vendor":"Linux","product":"Linux","defaultStatus":"affected","versions":[{"version":"6.13","status":"affected"},{"version":"0","status":"unaffected","lessThan":"6.13","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"6.18.53","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"6.18.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"7.2.7","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"7.2.*","versionType":"semver"},{"version":"7.3","status":"unaffected","lessThanOrEqual":"*","versionType":"original_commit_for_fix"}],"repo":"https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git","programFiles":["drivers/net/ethernet/cadence/macb_main.c"]}],"references":[{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5fba30080d298edb742396073372385c961578d3"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7d60dc7ff85b73a2119d582ca2d4456b30960380"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/382a373d9ea7a6ac4de9c022385b6217f65ae3cc"}],"providerMetadata":{"shortName":"Linux","orgId":"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67","dateUpdated":"2026-10-19T09:11:38.115Z"},"cpeApplicability":[{"nodes":[{"operator":"OR","negate":false,"cpeMatch":[{"vulnerable":true,"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"6.13","versionEndExcluding":"6.18.53"},{"vulnerable":true,"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"6.13","versionEndExcluding":"7.2.7"},{"vulnerable":true,"criteria":"cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*","versionStartIncluding":"6.13","versionEndExcluding":"7.3"}]}]}],"x_generator":{"engine":"bippy-1.2.0"}}}}}