---
id: CVE-2026-97972
title: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  net: macb: put the "mdio" child node reference on success

  macb_mii_init() holds the reference returned by of_get_child_by_name()
  for macb_mdiobus_register() and drops …
summary: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  net: macb: put the "mdio" child node reference on success

  macb_mii_init() holds the reference returned by of_get_child_by_name()
  for 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'
---

## Overview

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

net: macb: put the "mdio" child node reference on success

macb_mii_init() holds the reference returned by of_get_child_by_name()
for macb_mdiobus_register() and drops it only on the error paths, so
every successful probe leaks a node reference. On a CM5, overlay
removal after four bind cycles reports

  OF: ERROR: memory leak, expected refcount 1 instead of 5

Drop the reference after registration, where __mdiobus_register() has
already taken its own for the lifetime of the bus.

## Remediation

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