CVE-2026-98502
Description
A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's ALPS Human Interface Device (HID) driver. The driver fails to properly unregister and release a secondary input device when the hardware is removed. A local user could exploit this issue by repeatedly disconnecting the device, causing a memory leak that can lead to system resource exhaustion and a Denial of Service (DoS).
Statement
This vulnerability is rated as Low severity because exploitation requires local access to repeatedly connect and disconnect specific ALPS hardware devices or emulated peripherals, resulting only in a gradual resource leak without impacting system confidentiality or integrity. In typical Red Hat Enterprise Linux server and container environments, physical ALPS input hardware is rarely utilized, significantly reducing exposure. Virtualized deployments are only at risk if an unprivileged user possesses the rights to attach and detach emulated HID hardware.
Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Score Details
Info alert:Important note
CVSS scores for open source components depend on vendor-specific factors (e.g. version or build chain). Therefore, Red Hat's score and impact rating can be different from NVD and other vendors. Red Hat remains the authoritative CVE Naming Authority (CNA) source for its products and services (see Red Hat classifications).
The following CVSS metrics and score provided are preliminary and subject to review.
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 3.3 | N/A | N/A |
| Attack Vector | Local | N/A | N/A |
| Attack Complexity | Low | N/A | N/A |
| Privileges Required | Low | N/A | N/A |
| User Interaction | None | N/A | N/A |
| Scope | Unchanged | N/A | N/A |
| Confidentiality | None | N/A | N/A |
| Integrity Impact | None | N/A | N/A |
| Availability Impact | Low | N/A | N/A |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L
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