---
id: "CVE-2026-98657"
kind: "vulnerability"
aliases: ["CVE-2026-98657"]
title: "Linux kernel: failed PulsedLight probe leaves a freed IIO device registered"
severity: "unknown"
cvss: null
epss: null
exploited: false
status: "open"
category: "runtime"
products: []
ecosystems: []
tags: ["iio", "kernel", "linux", "runtime"]
not_affected_if: ["no-pulsedlight-sensor"]
published_at: "2026-10-18T16:17:19+00:00"
first_seen_at: "2026-10-23T21:57:16+00:00"
updated_at: "2026-10-25T05:19:33+00:00"
sources: [{"source": "nvd", "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98657", "first_seen_at": "2026-10-23T21:57:16+00:00"}]
---

# Linux kernel: failed PulsedLight probe leaves a freed IIO device registered

When the PulsedLight lidar driver's probe fails during power management setup, the kernel leaves the IIO device registered after its memory is freed. Local code or a user with access to the sysfs or chardev nodes could reach freed memory.

_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-2026-98657

## From the sources

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

iio: proximity: pulsedlight: fix iio_device left registered on PM setup failure

pm_runtime_set_active() failing in probe() jumps to error_unreg_buffer,
which only calls iio_triggered_buffer_cleanup() -- it does not undo the
iio_device_register() that already succeeded a few lines above. probe()
then returns the error, the devm-managed indio_dev is freed, but the
iio core still has it registered: the sysfs/chardev nodes stay live and
point at freed memory.

Add an error_unreg_dev label that unregisters the iio device before
falling through to the existing buffer cleanup, mirroring the teardown
order already used in lidar_remove().

---

_Free to read at a human pace. An API with keys and an MCP server are in preparation; early access: hello@infrastack.ai_