---
id: "CVE-2026-98913"
kind: "vulnerability"
aliases: ["CVE-2026-98913"]
title: "Linux kernel: thunderx driver leaks a PTP device reference on probe failure"
severity: "unknown"
cvss: null
epss: 0.00209
exploited: false
status: "open"
category: "infrastructure"
products: []
ecosystems: []
tags: ["arm64", "infrastructure", "kernel", "linux", "thunderx"]
not_affected_if: []
published_at: "2026-10-23T12:18:25+00:00"
first_seen_at: "2026-10-23T21:57:33+00:00"
updated_at: "2026-10-25T12:38:50+00:00"
sources: [{"source": "nvd", "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98913", "first_seen_at": "2026-10-23T21:57:33+00:00"}, {"source": "epss", "url": "https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-98913", "first_seen_at": "2026-10-25T12:38:50+00:00"}]
---

# Linux kernel: thunderx driver leaks a PTP device reference on probe failure

In the Linux kernel's ThunderX network driver, a failed probe after acquiring the PTP PCI device leaves that device reference held. The sources describe a reference leak and do not describe code execution or data exposure.

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

## Timeline

- 2026-10-23T21:57:33+00:00 nvd https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98913
- 2026-10-25T12:38:50+00:00 epss https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-98913

## From the sources

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

net: thunderx: fix PTP device ref leak in nicvf_probe()

cavium_ptp_get() acquires a reference to the PTP PCI device
through pci_get_device(). If any initialization step fails
after cavium_ptp_get(), the PTP PCI device reference is leaked.
Add a common error path to release the PTP reference before
returning from probe failures.

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