---
id: "CVE-2026-98945"
kind: "vulnerability"
aliases: ["CVE-2026-98945"]
title: "Linux kernel Steam HID driver: teardown race leaves dangling pointer"
severity: "unknown"
cvss: null
epss: 0.00209
exploited: false
status: "open"
category: "infrastructure"
products: []
ecosystems: []
tags: ["hid", "infrastructure", "kernel", "linux", "steam-controller"]
not_affected_if: []
published_at: "2026-10-23T13:17:15+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-2026-98945", "first_seen_at": "2026-10-23T21:57:33+00:00"}, {"source": "epss", "url": "https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-98945", "first_seen_at": "2026-10-25T12:38:50+00:00"}]
---

# Linux kernel Steam HID driver: teardown race leaves dangling pointer

The Linux kernel's Steam controller HID driver could schedule callbacks during teardown that then pointed at already-freed memory. The fix reorders cleanup and cancels rumble and mode-switch work during unregistration.

_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-2026-98945
- 2026-10-25T12:38:50+00:00 epss https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-98945

## From the sources

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

HID: steam: Rearrange teardown sequence

This fixes a narrow window during the teardown sequence where callbacks
could still be scheduled during cleanup that would then have a dangling
pointer to the now-freed steam struct.

This also puts work canceling for rumble and mode switch in
steam_unregister, as that shouldn't persist while the client hdev is open.

---

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