CVE-2026-72144
Received Received - Intake

BaseFortify

Publication date: 2026-08-15

Last updated on: 2026-08-15

Assigner: kernel.org

Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: platform/x86: dell-laptop: fix missing cleanups in init error path dell_init() initializes several resources after dell_setup_rfkill(), including the optional touchpad LED, keyboard backlight LED, battery hook, debugfs directory and dell-laptop notifier. If a later LED or backlight registration fails, the error path only tears down the battery hook and rfkill resources. This leaves the notifier, debugfs directory, keyboard backlight LED and optional touchpad LED registered after dell_init() returns an error. Add the missing cleanup calls before tearing down rfkill.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-08-15
Last Modified
2026-08-15
Generated
2026-08-15
AI Q&A
2026-08-15
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-72144
EUVD
EUVD-2026-58902

Affected Vendors & Products

Currently, no data is known.

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Exploitability

CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

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Executive Summary

This vulnerability is in the Linux kernel's dell-laptop driver. It occurs when initializing resources fails after setting up rfkill. The error path does not properly clean up all registered components like LEDs, debugfs, and notifier, leaving them active even though initialization failed.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to the Linux kernel's dell-laptop driver and does not have network-based detection methods. To check if your system is affected, verify the kernel version and whether the dell-laptop module is loaded. Use commands like 'uname -r' to check the kernel version and 'lsmod | grep dell_laptop' to see if the module is loaded.

Impact Analysis

This could lead to inconsistent system behavior, resource leaks, or unexpected device states. If initialization fails, leftover components might cause conflicts or improper functionality in the dell-laptop driver.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the latest kernel update provided by your Linux distribution to patch this vulnerability. If immediate patching is not possible, consider disabling the dell-laptop module temporarily using 'modprobe -r dell_laptop' until the update is applied.

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