---
id: "CVE-2026-98608"
kind: "vulnerability"
aliases: ["CVE-2026-98608"]
title: "Linux kernel: virtio GPU ioctl leaks memory objects on error path"
severity: "low"
cvss: null
epss: null
exploited: false
status: "open"
category: "infrastructure"
products: []
ecosystems: []
tags: ["infrastructure", "linux-kernel", "virtio-gpu", "virtual-machines"]
not_affected_if: ["no-virtio-gpu"]
published_at: "2026-10-18T16:17:13+00:00"
first_seen_at: "2026-10-23T21:57:16+00:00"
updated_at: "2026-10-25T05:21:26+00:00"
sources: [{"source": "nvd", "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98608", "first_seen_at": "2026-10-23T21:57:16+00:00"}]
---

# Linux kernel: virtio GPU ioctl leaks memory objects on error path

A failed handle creation in the virtio GPU resource ioctl releases the object incorrectly, so its memory, pages and host-side resource are never freed. The sources describe a resource leak, not code execution or data exposure.

_Summary, check and fix written by a model from the sources; labelled as such._

## Timeline

- 2026-10-23T21:57:16+00:00 nvd https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98608

## From the sources

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

drm/virtio: fix object leak in virtio_gpu_resource_create_ioctl()

virtio_gpu_resource_create_ioctl() calls drm_gem_object_release() on the
drm_gem_handle_create() error path instead of dropping the reference it
owns, so obj->funcs->free() never runs and the virtio_gpu_object, its
pages and sg table, the resource id and the host-side resource are
leaked.

Use drm_gem_object_put() instead.

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