CVE-2026-98480

Received Received - Intake

Power Down Failure in TRF7970A NFC Driver

Publication date: 2026-10-18

Last updated on: 2026-10-19

Assigner: kernel.org

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: nfc: trf7970a: power down on startup RX gain failure trf7970a_startup() powers up the device before applying the optional RX gain reduction. If the register read or write fails, it returns without undoing that power-up. Probe's unwind only drops the separate regulator references acquired by probe, leaving the additional VIN enable from startup unbalanced. The system resume caller also has no power-down on this error. Call trf7970a_power_down() before returning the RX gain error to deassert the enable GPIOs, release the startup VIN reference and restore the powered-off state. Runtime PM has not been enabled yet, so the full shutdown helper is not appropriate here. Preserve the original SPI error. This issue was identified during our ongoing static-analysis research while reviewing kernel code.

CVSS Scores

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Meta Information

Published

2026-10-18

Last Modified

2026-10-19

Generated

2026-10-19

AI Q&A

2026-10-18

EPSS Evaluated

N/A

NVD

CVE-2026-98480

EUVD

EUVD-2026-103720

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
Linux	Linux	5d69351820eab6be1d298af21aedd18be5e5a11a
Linux	Linux	5d69351820eab6be1d298af21aedd18be5e5a11a
Linux	Linux	5d69351820eab6be1d298af21aedd18be5e5a11a
Linux	Linux	6.17

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This vulnerability affects the Linux kernel's NFC driver for the TRF7970A chip. During startup, the device powers up before applying RX gain reduction. If a register read or write fails, the function returns without powering down the device, leaving it in an unbalanced state. This can cause issues with GPIO enable signals and regulator references.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability affects the Linux kernel's NFC TRF7970A driver and is related to improper power management during startup. Detection requires checking kernel logs for TRF7970A-related errors during device initialization. Look for messages about RX gain failure or power state mismatches in dmesg or journalctl output.

Impact Analysis

This flaw may lead to improper power management of the NFC device, potentially causing system instability or unexpected behavior. It could also result in resource leaks, such as unbalanced regulator references, affecting overall system performance.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability does not directly affect compliance with GDPR, HIPAA, or similar standards. It involves a power management issue in the Linux kernel's NFC driver (trf7970a) that could lead to improper device state handling during startup. No data exposure or privacy concerns are described.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the Linux kernel patch that addresses the trf7970a RX gain failure issue. Ensure the patch includes the call to trf7970a_power_down() before returning RX gain errors to prevent unbalanced power-up states.

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