CVE-2026-97946: x86/amd_node: Fix PCI device reference counting in amd_smn_init()

Severity: unknown
Exploited in the wild: not listed in CISA KEV
EPSS: 0.2% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
Public exploit or detection template: none known
Published: 2026-09-25 · updated 2026-10-19

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: x86/amd_node: Fix PCI device reference counting in amd_smn_init() The local "root" pointer is a temporary variable used during the device search. Therefore, refcount related to the search iterators should be cleaned up after the search is complete. Use the __free() cleanup macro to ensure the refcount is decremented when the temporary pointer goes out of scope. Additionally, increment the refcount when caching a root pointer. This ensures the in-use refcount is separate from the temporary search refcounting. Finally, drop the redundant "root = NULL" before the second search loop. The pci_get_class() iterator always decrements the refcount of its "from" argument, so the first loop can only fall through with "root" already NULL.

Affected products

Linux kernel: from 6.17.8 before 6.18; 6.18 — fixed in 6.18, 7.3

How to fix

Upgrade to a fixed version: Linux kernel 6.18, 7.3. Check the vendor advisory for mitigations.

References

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