CVE-2026-98191 in Linux
Summary
by MITRE • 10/06/2026
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
wifi: wlcore: release runtime PM ref on regdomain config failure
wlcore_regdomain_config() gets a runtime PM reference before sending the regulatory-domain command. When wlcore_cmd_regdomain_config_locked() fails, the function queues recovery and returns without dropping that reference.
Release the reference after handling the command result so both success and failure paths balance the preceding pm_runtime_resume_and_get(). The recovery worker takes a separate runtime PM reference and cannot release the reference held here.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/06/2026
The vulnerability identified in the Linux kernel's wlcore wireless driver represents a resource management flaw within the regulatory domain configuration logic, specifically affecting how power management references are handled during command execution failures. This issue is categorized under CWE-404, which describes improper release of system resources or other elements that could lead to resource leaks, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1529 regarding System Shutdown/Reboot if the leak causes a denial of service through resource exhaustion over time. The core technical flaw resides in the wlcore_regdomain_config function, which is responsible for configuring the wireless regulatory domain settings on hardware devices managed by this driver. To ensure that the underlying hardware component remains active and responsive during the configuration process, the function invokes pm_runtime_resume_and_get to acquire a runtime power management reference. This operation increments the device's usage counter, preventing the kernel from suspending or powering down the device while critical operations are in progress.
The operational failure occurs when the subsequent call to wlcore_cmd_regdomain_config_locked encounters an error condition and returns a non-zero status code indicating command failure. In this specific scenario, the existing implementation queues a recovery worker to handle the fault but fails to decrement the usage counter acquired earlier by calling pm_runtime_put or releasing the reference properly before returning from the function. This oversight means that for every failed regulatory domain configuration attempt, one runtime PM reference remains permanently held without being released. While successful command executions correctly balance this reference acquisition with a corresponding release, the error path leaves an unbalanced increment in the device's power management state machine.
The impact of this resource leak is primarily related to system stability and hardware availability rather than direct security exploitation like privilege escalation or data exfiltration. Over time, as repeated configuration attempts fail due to various transient or persistent errors, the accumulated unreleased runtime PM references will cause the usage counter for the wireless device to grow indefinitely. Eventually, this counter may reach its maximum limit, causing subsequent calls to pm_runtime_resume_and_get to fail because the system determines that too many active users are holding power references. When this threshold is reached, the kernel will refuse to wake up or maintain power to the wlcore hardware, effectively rendering the wireless interface non-functional until a full device reset or driver reload occurs. This constitutes a denial of service condition where legitimate network connectivity is lost due to internal resource exhaustion within the driver stack.
Mitigation for this vulnerability requires ensuring that all code paths, including error handling and recovery sequences, properly balance power management references acquired during command preparation. The fix involves modifying wlcore_regdomain_config to check the return value of the configuration command and explicitly releasing the runtime PM reference via pm_runtime_put or equivalent calls before returning in failure cases. It is crucial to note that the queued recovery worker operates independently and acquires its own separate runtime PM reference when it executes, so it cannot be relied upon to release the initial reference held by the caller. Therefore, the responsibility for balancing the original pm_runtime_resume_and_get call must remain with wlcore_regdomain_config itself regardless of whether the command succeeds or fails. System administrators should apply kernel updates that include this patch to prevent potential wireless interface unavailability caused by repeated regulatory configuration errors on affected hardware platforms.