{"id":"CVE-2026-97972","title":"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 …","summary":"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 …","severity":"none","vendor":"Linux","product":"Linux","affected":["Linux >= 8a6631f1cece09047fa44608d21d520ca65ce7d8 < 5fba30080d298edb742396073372385c961578d3","Linux >= 8a6631f1cece09047fa44608d21d520ca65ce7d8 < 7d60dc7ff85b73a2119d582ca2d4456b30960380","Linux >= 8a6631f1cece09047fa44608d21d520ca65ce7d8 < 382a373d9ea7a6ac4de9c022385b6217f65ae3cc","Linux 6.13"],"published":"2026-09-25","updated":"2026-09-25","sourceUpdated":"2026-09-25T11:17:25.090","source":"NVD","sourceUrl":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-97972","references":[{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/382a373d9ea7a6ac4de9c022385b6217f65ae3cc","label":"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5fba30080d298edb742396073372385c961578d3","label":"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7d60dc7ff85b73a2119d582ca2d4456b30960380","label":"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"}],"tags":["nvd","cve.org"],"ingestedAt":"2026-09-25T11:06:38.871Z","slug":"CVE-2026-97972","body":"## Overview\n\nIn 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.\n\n## Remediation\n\nRefer to the linked advisories for vendor-supplied fixes and affected version ranges.","depth":"sunlit","depthScore":3,"depthScoreParts":{"impact":2.8,"likelihood":0,"exploitation":0,"ransomware":0},"changes":[]}