High

CVE-2026-89741 — Revert "media: v4l2-dev: fix error handling in __video_register_device()"

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: Revert "media: v4l2-dev: fix error handling in __video_register_device()" This reverts commit 2a934fdb01db6458288fc9386d3d8ceba6dd551a. The intentions of that patch were good, but it doesn't work. The idea is that if device_register fails, you have to do a put_device to let the ref counter release resources. However, the V4L2 API says that if video_register_device() fails, then you have to call video_device_release(), which kfree()s the video_device struct. But the put_device() will already have freed the struct, so you end up in a double-free scenario. There is not really a good way of fixing this without breaking video_register_device() into two parts, one that initializes everything, and one that does the actual device_register, and then converting all V4L2 drivers to this new model. That is a massive job, and it is very unlikely that device_register will fail. So rather than ending up in a double-free scenario, just revert this patch, and in that case we'll have a small memory leak. Which is a lot more robust.

Published Sep 11, 2026 · Updated Oct 15, 2026 · Sources: NIST National Vulnerability Database, CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP · CNA: Linux

Low

Who exploits it and how urgent it is

A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.

No exploitation signal in the sources consulted so far.

How the score was calculated

EPSS 0.2% (30-day exploitation probability)+1
Technical severity (high)+6

The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).

Triage

Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.

Exploitation

Not confirmed

Not in CISA KEV — an absence of record, not proof it is unexploited.

EPSS FIRST

0.17%

ahead of 6% of scored CVEs · Oct 15, 2026

Affects

Linux

CVSS base

7.8

High · 2 source(s)

Remediation

Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.

No fix documented by the sources we poll. That does not mean none exists: check the vendor advisory.

First 24 hours

Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.

Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Linux Linux).
No fix documented in the sources: reduce exposure and monitor the vendor advisory.
Search available logs for exploit probes, errors and authentication anomalies.

Affected scope

Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.

Vendor	Product	Versions	Status	Source
Linux	Linux	version 4451412739ed33a49b34624299394ee575116d0cversion 6.16≥ 6.15.4 and < 6.16≥ 5.4.295 and < 5.5≥ 6.12.35 and < 6.12.109≥ 6.6.95 and < 6.6.157≥ 6.1.142 and < 6.1.188≥ 5.15.186 and < 5.15.221 and 10 more ≥ 5.10.239 and < 5.10.270≥ e5c8e62ae551e0ad2e15412aa0c57c2856d59677 and < 8b998c171ed875e402e1fd1c5cd619e4ca05e9c1version ee141706e701356dda41c6fed9ee18bf427c28e3≥ 2a934fdb01db6458288fc9386d3d8ceba6dd551a and < e7600f5cee5de14065f950807931d6e6d40fb2d7≥ 2a934fdb01db6458288fc9386d3d8ceba6dd551a and < ce792b94e03882108019ba996c1a7c4d4e09be2c≥ 2a934fdb01db6458288fc9386d3d8ceba6dd551a and < aad08b5f67d2a8116e1a00bce2611c1513b10bce≥ 2429bb9fad88c8fa84c4956b0a21cf5afe5e92b7 and < 712ca1cf756de2557a116e0df55791bac0c9f99e≥ ae7b143e05b36fc69d6571751855946cc45064c6 and < 2ac009a65d2385e9f0799eaf9d9694a29153a161≥ b6be1f5633eae200af2527e9eeb7f51be5739b0f and < 8027f82c0f5474ed72448e160ee9778051fa1f49≥ 8b451a9a46f2bfc510e6d5c2492df91647586184 and < 3de14b4f681a1b3c6d375d98d9d37a55ebb85349	Vulnerable	CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP

Attack characteristics

The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.

Attack vector

Local

Attack complexity

Low

Privileges required

Low

User interaction

None

Scope

Unchanged

Confidentiality

High

Integrity

High

Availability

High

Every base score collected

Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.

Score	Version	Severity	Expl.	Impact	Scored by
7.8	CVSS 3.1	High	1.8	5.9	416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 via NIST National Vulnerability Database
7.8	CVSS 3.1	High	—	—	Linux via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H (score shown at the top: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67)

Detection

Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.

Local/physical vector: focus on endpoint telemetry (EDR) from affected hosts.

endpoint telemetry (EDR)

Timeline

What happened to this CVE, newest first.

2026
Affected products added · linux/linux
Oct 15, 2026 · CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
Record published
Oct 15, 2026
CVSS changed · 7.8
Oct 15, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
Source status changed · → Received
Oct 15, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
Record created in this database
Oct 15, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
CVE published
Sep 11, 2026 · Linux

Source activity

Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.

1× Official description updated · Oct 15, 2026 – Oct 15, 2026

References

8 on the record

git.kernel.org/stable/c/ce792b94e03882108019ba996c1a7c4d4e09be2c
NIST National Vulnerability Database
git.kernel.org/stable/c/e7600f5cee5de14065f950807931d6e6d40fb2d7
NIST National Vulnerability Database
git.kernel.org/stable/c/8b998c171ed875e402e1fd1c5cd619e4ca05e9c1
NIST National Vulnerability Database
git.kernel.org/stable/c/8027f82c0f5474ed72448e160ee9778051fa1f49
NIST National Vulnerability Database
git.kernel.org/stable/c/712ca1cf756de2557a116e0df55791bac0c9f99e
NIST National Vulnerability Database
git.kernel.org/stable/c/2ac009a65d2385e9f0799eaf9d9694a29153a161
NIST National Vulnerability Database
git.kernel.org/stable/c/aad08b5f67d2a8116e1a00bce2611c1513b10bce
NIST National Vulnerability Database
git.kernel.org/stable/c/3de14b4f681a1b3c6d375d98d9d37a55ebb85349
NIST National Vulnerability Database

Elsewhere on this site

Linux
every CVE for this vendor

Related CVEs (same products)

Critical CVE-2026-99999 ipv4: validate checksum_start before completing checksum 1d
Unknown CVE-2026-98432 ipv4: free inet_opt and ireq_opt after an RCU grace period 1d
Unknown CVE-2026-98424 wifi: cfg80211: undo netns switch if renaming the wiphy fails 2d
Unknown CVE-2026-98425 wifi: mac80211: don't warn when an IBSS has no channel to scan 2d
Unknown CVE-2026-98426 wifi: mwifiex: fix IRQ leak using wrong index in MSI-X error path 2d
Unknown CVE-2026-98427 net/sched: codel: bound the dropping loop per dequeue call 2d

Not in any source we poll

Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.

No fixed version, patch or mitigation documented.
No CISA SSVC assessment.
No CWE classification.
No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.

Answered from this record

Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.

What should defenders know first?

CVE-2026-89741 is "Revert "media: v4l2-dev: fix error handling in __video_register_device()"", rated High. It affects Linux (Linux); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 7.8 describes technical severity. EPSS 0.17% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.

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