CVE-2026-97969
Received Received - Intake

Clock Leak in Linux Kernel Watchdog Driver

Publication date: 2026-09-25

Last updated on: 2026-09-25

Assigner: kernel.org

Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: watchdog: msc313e: Fix clock leak and spurious timer in settimeout() msc313e_wdt_settimeout() unconditionally calls msc313e_wdt_start() which introduces two severe bugs: 1. If the watchdog is already active, calling start() again will increase the reference count of the clock again. However stop() is only called once, the reference count is unbalance. 2. If the watchdog is stopped, calling settimeout() will start the hardware timer accidentally. Factor out the register-writing logic into a helper function. Only call it in settimeout() if the watchdog is running. Otherwise, simply update `wdev->timeout`.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-09-25
Last Modified
2026-09-25
Generated
2026-09-25
AI Q&A
2026-09-25
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-97969
EUVD
EUVD-2026-86823

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
linux linux_kernel *

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Exploitability

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CWE ID Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

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Executive Summary

This vulnerability in the Linux kernel affects the msc313e watchdog driver. It causes a clock leak and unintended timer activation when the watchdog timeout is set. Specifically, calling settimeout() can either increase the clock reference count without proper balancing or accidentally start the hardware timer even when the watchdog is stopped.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to the Linux kernel's msc313e watchdog driver and does not have network-based detection methods. To detect it, check if your system uses the affected driver by examining kernel logs or running commands like 'lsmod | grep msc313e' or 'dmesg | grep msc313e'.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability may lead to system instability due to unbalanced clock references, causing resource leaks. It could also trigger unexpected watchdog timer behavior, potentially resulting in system crashes or unexpected reboots if the watchdog activates unintentionally.

Mitigation Strategies

Update your Linux kernel to the latest stable version that includes the fix for CVE-2026-97969. If updating is not immediately possible, consider disabling the msc313e watchdog driver if it is not required for your system.

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