CVE-2026-97473

Received Received - Intake

Memory Leak in Linux Kernel powercap Intel RAPL

Publication date: 2026-09-24

Last updated on: 2026-09-28

Assigner: kernel.org

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: powercap: intel_rapl: Fix memory leak in rapl_add_package_cpuslocked() When topology_physical_package_id()/topology_logical_die_id() returns a negative value, rapl_add_package_cpuslocked() returns ERR_PTR(-EINVAL) directly without freeing the rapl_package structure that was just allocated by kzalloc_obj(), leaking memory on every failed package addition. Use the existing err_free_package label so that the allocation is released on the error path.

CVSS Scores

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Meta Information

Published

2026-09-24

Last Modified

2026-09-28

Generated

2026-10-15

AI Q&A

2026-09-25

EPSS Evaluated

2026-10-13

NVD

CVE-2026-97473

EUVD

EUVD-2026-86071

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
linux	linux_kernel	*

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This is a memory leak vulnerability in the Linux kernel's powercap subsystem, specifically in the Intel RAPL (Running Average Power Limit) driver. When certain system topology functions return a negative value, the function fails to properly free allocated memory for a package structure, causing a memory leak on every failed attempt to add a package.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to the Linux kernel's powercap subsystem, particularly the intel_rapl module. Detection requires checking for memory leaks in the rapl_add_package_cpuslocked() function. Monitor kernel logs for memory allocation failures or errors related to package additions. Use commands like dmesg | grep -i rapl or journalctl -k | grep -i rapl to inspect kernel logs for related errors.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability could lead to gradual system performance degradation over time due to memory exhaustion. It may cause applications to crash or the system to become unstable if memory is depleted. However, the impact is limited to systems using Intel processors with RAPL functionality enabled.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability is a memory leak in the Linux kernel's powercap subsystem, specifically in the intel_rapl driver. It does not directly affect compliance with standards like GDPR or HIPAA, as those focus on data protection and privacy rather than kernel memory management issues.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the latest kernel update provided by your Linux distribution to patch this vulnerability. If an update is not immediately available, consider disabling the intel_rapl module by adding intel_rapl to the kernel module blacklist or unloading it with rmmod intel_rapl. Monitor system memory usage for leaks after applying mitigations.

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