# CVE-2026-98496: net: airoha: npu: cancel wdt_work after releasing the WDT IRQ

CVE-2026-98496 is fixed in linux on 1 platform by DEBIAN-CVE-2026-98496 (version 7.2.9-1), released October 19, 2026. It is not reported as exploited. Patch Radar priority: Routine.

- Web page: https://patchblox.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-98496
- Priority: Routine
- CVSS: n/a
- EPSS: 0.0020
- CISA KEV: not listed
- Exploited (vendor report): no
- Publicly disclosed: no
- Published: Oct 18, 2026
- Vendor advisory: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-98496

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:  net: airoha: npu: cancel wdt_work after releasing the WDT IRQ  airoha_npu_remove() calls cancel_work_sync() on each core's wdt_work, but the watchdog IRQ that queues it is requested with devm_request_irq() and is freed only after .remove() returns.  airoha_npu_wdt_handler() can therefore schedule_work() again once the cancel has returned.  struct airoha_npu, which contains the work, is devm_kzalloc()'d and is freed in that same unwind, so the late work dereferences freed memory.  Register the work with devm_work_autocancel() before devm_request_irq() and drop .remove().  Devres runs in reverse order, so the IRQ is freed before cancel_work_sync(), including when probe fails.  A cancel left in .remove() cannot get that order.  Initializing the work first also stops a pending watchdog interrupt from queuing an uninitialized work item. Probe currently calls INIT_WORK() only after devm_request_irq().  This issue was identified during our ongoing static-analysis research while reviewing kernel code.

## Where it's fixed

| Platform | Product | Fixed in | Fix | Released |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | linux Debian 14 | 7.2.9-1 | [DEBIAN-CVE-2026-98496](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/debian-cve-2026-98496.md) | Oct 19, 2026 |

---

Data as of 2026-11-08T19:12:23Z UTC. Source: Patchblox Patch Radar (https://patchblox.com/security/patch-radar). Patchblox finds out-of-date software on Windows, macOS and Linux and updates it through release rings: https://patchblox.com/demo

Free to use with attribution: show "Data: Patchblox Patch Radar" with a link to https://patchblox.com/security/patch-radar. Terms, including what needs a written agreement: https://patchblox.com/security/patch-radar/use-the-data

Product names, logos and trademarks shown on Patch Radar belong to their respective owners. They are used only to identify the software each security fix applies to and to help readers find their platform. Their use does not imply any affiliation with, or endorsement by, those owners, and Patchblox is not affiliated with any of them.