---
id: CVE-2026-98609
title: 'drm/virtio: fix object leak when drm_gem_handle_create() fails'
summary: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  drm/virtio: fix object leak when drm_gem_handle_create() fails

  virtio_gpu_gem_create() owns the reference taken by
  virtio_gpu_object_create(). On the drm_gem_handle_cr…
severity: none
vendor: Linux
product: Linux
affected:
  - >-
    Linux >= dc5698e80cf724770283e10414054662bdf6ccfa <
    13423a058187c2039aa8cb235c916be4477221b7
  - >-
    Linux >= dc5698e80cf724770283e10414054662bdf6ccfa <
    687be2f8b5e0e0ca9a7028f8f6413d0ed3fbb9dc
  - >-
    Linux >= dc5698e80cf724770283e10414054662bdf6ccfa <
    264ae8ac8fd625b6c118baf16c111adeee2ec632
  - >-
    Linux >= dc5698e80cf724770283e10414054662bdf6ccfa <
    e2edd2d78d2cf8446de017adec9598feefed3297
  - >-
    Linux >= dc5698e80cf724770283e10414054662bdf6ccfa <
    372e9c3d45f664a2c000427ccbf6cdc2f99b3170
  - >-
    Linux >= dc5698e80cf724770283e10414054662bdf6ccfa <
    a93dce15dfef200c346b050a2acbed516cc62706
  - >-
    Linux >= dc5698e80cf724770283e10414054662bdf6ccfa <
    f75066c79d1eec453c0d386ef8636873d1e11f2c
  - >-
    Linux >= dc5698e80cf724770283e10414054662bdf6ccfa <
    36570ef2244cc4d7563b1f0157bc0f032498638c
  - Linux 4.2
published: '2026-10-18'
updated: '2026-10-18'
sourceUpdated: '2026-10-18T15:19:24.250Z'
source: CVEORG
sourceUrl: 'https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-98609'
references:
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/13423a058187c2039aa8cb235c916be4477221b7'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/687be2f8b5e0e0ca9a7028f8f6413d0ed3fbb9dc'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/264ae8ac8fd625b6c118baf16c111adeee2ec632'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e2edd2d78d2cf8446de017adec9598feefed3297'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/372e9c3d45f664a2c000427ccbf6cdc2f99b3170'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a93dce15dfef200c346b050a2acbed516cc62706'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f75066c79d1eec453c0d386ef8636873d1e11f2c'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/36570ef2244cc4d7563b1f0157bc0f032498638c'
tags:
  - cve.org
ingestedAt: '2026-10-18T15:45:12.243Z'
---

## Overview

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

drm/virtio: fix object leak when drm_gem_handle_create() fails

virtio_gpu_gem_create() owns the reference taken by
virtio_gpu_object_create(). On the drm_gem_handle_create() error path it
calls drm_gem_object_release() instead of dropping that reference.

drm_gem_object_release() is the inverse of drm_gem_object_init() and does
not touch the reference count or call obj->funcs->free(), so it is only
correct as the last step of a destructor, as in
virtio_gpu_cleanup_object(). Using it here leaves the bo at refcount 1
with no remaining reference, so virtio_gpu_free_object() never runs and
the shmem pages, sg table and virtio_gpu_object are leaked. Since
virtio_gpu_object_create() has already set bo->created,
VIRTIO_GPU_CMD_RESOURCE_UNREF is not queued either, leaking the host-side
resource and the resource id.

drm_gem_handle_create_tail() drops the handle reference on all of its
internal error paths, so the caller only has to drop its own. Use
drm_gem_object_put(), matching the success path below.

## Affected

- `Linux >= dc5698e80cf724770283e10414054662bdf6ccfa < 13423a058187c2039aa8cb235c916be4477221b7`
- `Linux >= dc5698e80cf724770283e10414054662bdf6ccfa < 687be2f8b5e0e0ca9a7028f8f6413d0ed3fbb9dc`
- `Linux >= dc5698e80cf724770283e10414054662bdf6ccfa < 264ae8ac8fd625b6c118baf16c111adeee2ec632`
- `Linux >= dc5698e80cf724770283e10414054662bdf6ccfa < e2edd2d78d2cf8446de017adec9598feefed3297`
- `Linux >= dc5698e80cf724770283e10414054662bdf6ccfa < 372e9c3d45f664a2c000427ccbf6cdc2f99b3170`
- `Linux >= dc5698e80cf724770283e10414054662bdf6ccfa < a93dce15dfef200c346b050a2acbed516cc62706`
- `Linux >= dc5698e80cf724770283e10414054662bdf6ccfa < f75066c79d1eec453c0d386ef8636873d1e11f2c`
- `Linux >= dc5698e80cf724770283e10414054662bdf6ccfa < 36570ef2244cc4d7563b1f0157bc0f032498638c`
- `Linux 4.2`

## Remediation

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