---
id: CVE-2026-72144
title: |-
  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…
summary: |-
  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…
severity: high
cvss: 7.8
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'
vendor: Linux
product: Linux
affected:
  - >-
    Linux >= 037accfa14b28ecf49d9060063929c4b4cde373f <
    e4908b3bed755f73870416b971e162a8d0ef0aef
  - >-
    Linux >= 037accfa14b28ecf49d9060063929c4b4cde373f <
    6bd76d5421a72d2526c9be8f01f55bee960f899f
  - >-
    Linux >= 037accfa14b28ecf49d9060063929c4b4cde373f <
    1e41ca4a7fba2e680d6950e9511245255fffa46c
  - >-
    Linux >= 037accfa14b28ecf49d9060063929c4b4cde373f <
    b351e082711d12f075a36a6cd67709693689315f
  - >-
    Linux >= 037accfa14b28ecf49d9060063929c4b4cde373f <
    6e9cab2247e5b243ae2d907ce7c948a8a9c8d61a
  - Linux 2.6.37
published: '2026-08-15'
updated: '2026-10-16'
sourceUpdated: '2026-10-16T19:17:11.767'
source: NVD
sourceUrl: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-72144'
references:
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1e41ca4a7fba2e680d6950e9511245255fffa46c'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6bd76d5421a72d2526c9be8f01f55bee960f899f'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6e9cab2247e5b243ae2d907ce7c948a8a9c8d61a'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b351e082711d12f075a36a6cd67709693689315f'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e4908b3bed755f73870416b971e162a8d0ef0aef'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
tags:
  - nvd
  - cve.org
epss: 0.00163
epssPercentile: 0.055
ssvc:
  exploitation: none
  automatable: 'no'
  technicalImpact: total
  timestamp: '2026-10-16T18:42:51.675316Z'
ingestedAt: '2026-10-16T19:46:24.427Z'
---

## Overview

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.

## Remediation

Refer to the linked advisories for vendor-supplied fixes and affected version ranges.