CVE-2026-98690

Published Oct 18, 2026

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: thunderbolt: Fix domain reference leak when DPRX read is canceled tb_tunnel_one_dp() takes a domain reference which is only dropped once tb_dp_tunnel_active() has run on the work queue. If that work is cancelled that reference is leaked. Since commit f5cc545f5969 ("thunderbolt: Wait for tb_domain_release() to complete when driver is removed") instead of just leaking memory this now also blocks in the completion wait forever when unbinding the driver. This can be triggered whenever a DP tunnel is torn down before the DPRX read has completed, e.g. by unplugging within the timeout, and then unbinding the driver. That reference only exists to keep the domain around while the DPRX work is scheduled so let the work itself own it: take it in tb_dp_dprx_start() and drop it in both places that end the work. Get/put are then paired inside the same file and it doesn't matter anymore if the callback ever runs.

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References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-98690? +
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: thunderbolt: Fix domain reference leak when DPRX read is canceled tb_tunnel_one_dp() takes a domain reference which is only dropped once tb_dp_tunnel_active() has run on the work queue. If that work is cancelled that reference is leaked. Since commit f5cc545f5969 ("thunderbolt: Wait for tb_domain_release() to complete when driver is removed") instead of just leaking memory this now also blocks in the completion wait forever when unbinding the driver. This can be triggered whenever a DP tunnel is torn down before the DPRX read has completed, e.g. by unplugging within the timeout, and then unbinding the driver. That reference only exists to keep the domain around while the DPRX work is scheduled so let the work itself own it: take it in tb_dp_dprx_start() and drop it in both places that end the work. Get/put are then paired inside the same file and it doesn't matter anymore if the callback ever runs.
How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2026-98690? +
You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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