CVE-2026-98513 in Linux
Summary
by MITRE • 10/18/2026
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
drm/nouveau: Fix runtime PM leak in nouveau_connector_detect()
If nvif_outp_edid_get() fails, nouveau_connector_detect() returns early without dropping the runtime PM reference taken at the start of the function, keeping the device powered on until the next successful detect.
Balance the reference on the error path like the other exit paths do.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/19/2026
The vulnerability identified in the Linux kernel's DRM Nouveau driver involves a resource management flaw within the nouveau_connector_detect() function, specifically concerning runtime power management references. This issue arises during the detection process of display connectors, where the system attempts to retrieve Extended Display Identification Data (EDID) from connected output devices via the nvif_outp_edid_get() routine. The core technical flaw is a reference counting error on an error path; if the EDID retrieval fails for any reason, such as hardware communication errors or unsupported device configurations, the function returns early without releasing the runtime power management reference that was acquired at the beginning of the execution flow. This oversight results in a persistent leak of the PM reference count associated with the GPU device.
From an operational perspective, this imbalance in reference counting prevents the kernel's runtime power management subsystem from correctly assessing the idle state of the graphics hardware. Since the driver holds onto the active power reference indefinitely after a failed detection attempt, the GPU remains powered on even when it should be suspended to save energy and reduce thermal output. This leads to increased power consumption and potentially higher temperatures for systems utilizing NVIDIA GPUs with the Nouveau open-source driver. The impact is most noticeable in mobile or battery-powered devices where efficient power management is critical, as the system may fail to enter low-power states until a subsequent successful detection event forces the reference count to be balanced by other code paths.
This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-401, which describes missing release of resource after effective ownership, and can also be contextualized within ATT&CK techniques related to persistence or impact on availability if an attacker could repeatedly trigger this failure condition to exhaust system resources or degrade performance over time through sustained high power states. The fix implemented in the kernel resolves this by ensuring that the runtime PM reference is properly dropped on all exit paths, including error conditions, thereby maintaining consistency with other parts of the driver logic and adhering to standard resource management practices required for stable operating system behavior.
To mitigate such issues, developers must ensure strict adherence to reference counting protocols where every acquisition of a lock or power state has a corresponding release in both success and failure branches of conditional logic. System administrators relying on Nouveau drivers should monitor kernel logs for PM-related warnings if they suspect lingering resource leaks, although the primary mitigation is applying the latest stable kernel updates that include this specific patch from the DRM subsystem maintainers. Regular auditing of driver code paths for symmetry in acquire-release operations remains a best practice to prevent similar runtime power management discrepancies in complex hardware interaction layers.