---
id: CVE-2026-98160
title: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  staging: rtl8723bs: fix mismatched free of HalData in rtw_sdio_if1_init()

  padapter->HalData is allocated via vzalloc(), but incorrectly freed
  using kfree() in the rtw_…
summary: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  staging: rtl8723bs: fix mismatched free of HalData in rtw_sdio_if1_init()

  padapter->HalData is allocated via vzalloc(), but incorrectly freed
  using kfree() in the rtw_…
severity: none
vendor: Linux
product: Linux
affected:
  - >-
    Linux >= 554c0a3abf216c991c5ebddcdb2c08689ecd290b <
    ff6d1ba247b5c62bdb678f1069abc86ad88a1402
  - >-
    Linux >= 554c0a3abf216c991c5ebddcdb2c08689ecd290b <
    d6158333d630a1b21d8914feaf77a6f5deb185d9
  - >-
    Linux >= 554c0a3abf216c991c5ebddcdb2c08689ecd290b <
    6c017ab2b0e1b60b5be94636c94720347213d78b
  - >-
    Linux >= 554c0a3abf216c991c5ebddcdb2c08689ecd290b <
    4520d673d49dabfd42c008a33889251025f7d6d5
  - >-
    Linux >= 554c0a3abf216c991c5ebddcdb2c08689ecd290b <
    423574feaed192063ef0cd0813fb85425f39e539
  - >-
    Linux >= 554c0a3abf216c991c5ebddcdb2c08689ecd290b <
    737c928ff5092d7e55128a232c231248fc993777
  - >-
    Linux >= 554c0a3abf216c991c5ebddcdb2c08689ecd290b <
    911190f0b9511c3c81f2f2484414c1ae26f636b3
  - >-
    Linux >= 554c0a3abf216c991c5ebddcdb2c08689ecd290b <
    264676418b726baca7be49171e306b6aa05cceb0
  - Linux 4.12
published: '2026-09-25'
updated: '2026-09-25'
sourceUpdated: '2026-09-25T14:17:27.627'
source: NVD
sourceUrl: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98160'
references:
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/264676418b726baca7be49171e306b6aa05cceb0'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/423574feaed192063ef0cd0813fb85425f39e539'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4520d673d49dabfd42c008a33889251025f7d6d5'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6c017ab2b0e1b60b5be94636c94720347213d78b'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/737c928ff5092d7e55128a232c231248fc993777'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/911190f0b9511c3c81f2f2484414c1ae26f636b3'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d6158333d630a1b21d8914feaf77a6f5deb185d9'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ff6d1ba247b5c62bdb678f1069abc86ad88a1402'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
tags:
  - nvd
  - cve.org
ingestedAt: '2026-09-25T14:09:46.375Z'
---

## Overview

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

staging: rtl8723bs: fix mismatched free of HalData in rtw_sdio_if1_init()

padapter->HalData is allocated via vzalloc(), but incorrectly freed
using kfree() in the rtw_sdio_if1_init() error path. Using kfree() to
release this vmalloc-backed buffer can lead to memory corruption.

Use rtw_hal_data_deinit() to pair the free correctly and free
HalData with vfree().

The bug was first flagged by an experimental static analysis tool we
are developing for kernel memory-management bugs. Manual inspection
confirms that the issue is still present in current mainline.

An x86_64 allyesconfig build showed no new warnings. As we do not have
suitable RTL8723BS SDIO hardware to test with, no runtime testing was
able to be performed.

## Remediation

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