{"id":"CVE-2026-97972","title":"In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nnet: macb: put the \"mdio\" child node reference on success\n\nmacb_mii_init() holds the reference returned by of_get_child_by_name()\nfor macb_mdiobus_register() and drops …","summary":"In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nnet: macb: put the \"mdio\" child node reference on success\n\nmacb_mii_init() holds the reference returned by of_get_child_by_name()\nfor macb_mdiobus_register() and drops …","severity":"medium","vendor":"Linux","product":"Linux","affected":["Linux >= 8a6631f1cece09047fa44608d21d520ca65ce7d8 < 5fba30080d298edb742396073372385c961578d3","Linux >= 8a6631f1cece09047fa44608d21d520ca65ce7d8 < 7d60dc7ff85b73a2119d582ca2d4456b30960380","Linux >= 8a6631f1cece09047fa44608d21d520ca65ce7d8 < 382a373d9ea7a6ac4de9c022385b6217f65ae3cc","Linux 6.13"],"published":"2026-09-25","updated":"2026-09-25","sourceUpdated":"2026-09-25T11:17:25.090","source":"NVD","sourceUrl":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-97972","references":[{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/382a373d9ea7a6ac4de9c022385b6217f65ae3cc","label":"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5fba30080d298edb742396073372385c961578d3","label":"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7d60dc7ff85b73a2119d582ca2d4456b30960380","label":"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"},{"url":"https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-97972.json"},{"url":"https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-97972"},{"url":"https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2541213"},{"url":"https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-97972"},{"url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-97972"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/security/vulns.git/plain/cve/published/2026/CVE-2026-97972.mbox"}],"tags":["nvd","cve.org","csaf","vex","red-hat"],"ingestedAt":"2026-09-25T11:06:38.871Z","epss":0.00166,"epssPercentile":0.05776,"cvss":5.5,"cvssVector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H","cvssSource":"vendor","cwe":["CWE-911"],"slug":"CVE-2026-97972","body":"## Overview\n\nIn the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nnet: macb: put the \"mdio\" child node reference on success\n\nmacb_mii_init() holds the reference returned by of_get_child_by_name()\nfor macb_mdiobus_register() and drops it only on the error paths, so\nevery successful probe leaks a node reference. On a CM5, overlay\nremoval after four bind cycles reports\n\n  OF: ERROR: memory leak, expected refcount 1 instead of 5\n\nDrop the reference after registration, where __mdiobus_register() has\nalready taken its own for the lifetime of the bus.\n\n## Remediation\n\nRefer to the linked advisories for vendor-supplied fixes and affected version ranges.\n\n## Vendor advisories\n\n- **Red Hat VEX** · Moderate · updated 2026-09-30 · [vex](https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-97972.json)","depth":"sunlit","depthScore":30,"depthScoreParts":{"impact":30.3,"likelihood":0,"exploitation":0,"ransomware":0},"changes":[{"seq":213333,"id":"CVE-2026-97972","ts":1790754694522,"field":"cvss","old":null,"new":"5.5"},{"seq":213332,"id":"CVE-2026-97972","ts":1790754694522,"field":"severity","old":"none","new":"medium"}]}