---
id: CVE-2026-72144
title: 'platform/x86: dell-laptop: fix missing cleanups in init error path'
summary: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  platform/x86: dell-laptop: fix missing cleanups in init error path

  dell_init() initializes several resources after dell_setup_rfkill(),
  including the optional touchpad…
severity: high
cvss: 7.8
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'
cvssSource: cna
vendor: Linux
product: Linux
affected:
  - >-
    Linux >= 037accfa14b28ecf49d9060063929c4b4cde373f <
    e4908b3bed755f73870416b971e162a8d0ef0aef
  - >-
    Linux >= 037accfa14b28ecf49d9060063929c4b4cde373f <
    6bd76d5421a72d2526c9be8f01f55bee960f899f
  - >-
    Linux >= 037accfa14b28ecf49d9060063929c4b4cde373f <
    1e41ca4a7fba2e680d6950e9511245255fffa46c
  - >-
    Linux >= 037accfa14b28ecf49d9060063929c4b4cde373f <
    b351e082711d12f075a36a6cd67709693689315f
  - >-
    Linux >= 037accfa14b28ecf49d9060063929c4b4cde373f <
    6e9cab2247e5b243ae2d907ce7c948a8a9c8d61a
  - Linux 2.6.37
ssvc:
  exploitation: none
  automatable: 'no'
  technicalImpact: total
  timestamp: '2026-10-16T18:42:51.675316Z'
published: '2026-08-15'
updated: '2026-10-16'
sourceUpdated: '2026-10-16T18:44:59.135Z'
source: CVEORG
sourceUrl: 'https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-72144'
references:
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e4908b3bed755f73870416b971e162a8d0ef0aef'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6bd76d5421a72d2526c9be8f01f55bee960f899f'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1e41ca4a7fba2e680d6950e9511245255fffa46c'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b351e082711d12f075a36a6cd67709693689315f'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6e9cab2247e5b243ae2d907ce7c948a8a9c8d61a'
tags:
  - cve.org
epss: 0.00163
epssPercentile: 0.05187
ingestedAt: '2026-10-16T19:46:24.427Z'
---

## Overview

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

platform/x86: dell-laptop: fix missing cleanups in init error path

dell_init() initializes several resources after dell_setup_rfkill(),
including the optional touchpad LED, keyboard backlight LED, battery
hook, debugfs directory and dell-laptop notifier.

If a later LED or backlight registration fails, the error path only
tears down the battery hook and rfkill resources. This leaves the
notifier, debugfs directory, keyboard backlight LED and optional
touchpad LED registered after dell_init() returns an error.

Add the missing cleanup calls before tearing down rfkill.

## Affected

- `Linux >= 037accfa14b28ecf49d9060063929c4b4cde373f < e4908b3bed755f73870416b971e162a8d0ef0aef`
- `Linux >= 037accfa14b28ecf49d9060063929c4b4cde373f < 6bd76d5421a72d2526c9be8f01f55bee960f899f`
- `Linux >= 037accfa14b28ecf49d9060063929c4b4cde373f < 1e41ca4a7fba2e680d6950e9511245255fffa46c`
- `Linux >= 037accfa14b28ecf49d9060063929c4b4cde373f < b351e082711d12f075a36a6cd67709693689315f`
- `Linux >= 037accfa14b28ecf49d9060063929c4b4cde373f < 6e9cab2247e5b243ae2d907ce7c948a8a9c8d61a`
- `Linux 2.6.37`

## Remediation

Refer to the linked advisories for vendor-supplied fixes and affected version ranges.