---
id: CVE-2026-97969
title: |-
  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 bug…
summary: |-
  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 bug…
severity: medium
cvss: 5.5
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'
cwe:
  - CWE-911
vendor: Linux
product: Linux
affected:
  - >-
    Linux >= e9800b7994642a794afd4894f072541c14277ce8 <
    68665016c7b777b44e27b6b0c1e6524c28ebe40a
  - >-
    Linux >= e9800b7994642a794afd4894f072541c14277ce8 <
    77ef2aa8b46876ca9935f32dd874c517ccf5d880
  - >-
    Linux >= e9800b7994642a794afd4894f072541c14277ce8 <
    a1dd0817776ea2a870ba2347001af13ddd4cb321
  - >-
    Linux >= e9800b7994642a794afd4894f072541c14277ce8 <
    2152a13ee2a9af09a668ebd053a8dbf771dadb80
  - >-
    Linux >= e9800b7994642a794afd4894f072541c14277ce8 <
    2abf99a57b0b71b2b97745981f4039370ab78044
  - >-
    Linux >= e9800b7994642a794afd4894f072541c14277ce8 <
    faf1eb2895c87a8c0fb920439dddc7e0d97c6a69
  - >-
    Linux >= e9800b7994642a794afd4894f072541c14277ce8 <
    3db30f315935c2fb0d95f46b7a593b5b4d3ec3d0
  - Linux 5.14
published: '2026-09-25'
updated: '2026-10-03'
sourceUpdated: '2026-10-03T11:18:21.597'
source: NVD
sourceUrl: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-97969'
references:
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2152a13ee2a9af09a668ebd053a8dbf771dadb80'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2abf99a57b0b71b2b97745981f4039370ab78044'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3db30f315935c2fb0d95f46b7a593b5b4d3ec3d0'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/68665016c7b777b44e27b6b0c1e6524c28ebe40a'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/77ef2aa8b46876ca9935f32dd874c517ccf5d880'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a1dd0817776ea2a870ba2347001af13ddd4cb321'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/faf1eb2895c87a8c0fb920439dddc7e0d97c6a69'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: >-
      https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-97969.json
  - url: 'https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-97969'
  - url: 'https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2541232'
  - url: 'https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-97969'
  - url: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-97969'
  - url: >-
      https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/security/vulns.git/plain/cve/published/2026/CVE-2026-97969.mbox
tags:
  - nvd
  - cve.org
  - csaf
  - vex
  - red-hat
epss: 0.00172
epssPercentile: 0.06597
cvssSource: vendor
ingestedAt: '2026-09-25T11:06:38.873Z'
---

## Overview

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`.

## Remediation

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

## Vendor advisories

- **Red Hat VEX** · Moderate · updated 2026-09-30 · [vex](https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-97969.json)