watchdog: msc313e: Fix clock leak and spurious timer in settimeout() (CVE-2026-97969) | HOL Guard CVE

Unknown severity · Source severity not reportedCVE-2026-97969

watchdog: msc313e: Fix clock leak and spurious timer in settimeout()

Answer in brief

CVE-2026-97969 records a Unknown severity vulnerability in watchdog: msc313e: Fix clock leak and spurious timer in settimeout(). The current sources do not mark it as known exploited. The current feed maps Linux/Linux (generic), Linux/Linux (generic). Check affected ranges and fixed versions before updating.

Analysis pending evidence review

HOL Guard separates source facts from reviewed analysis. See the methodology.

Published Sep 25, 2026Updated Sep 25, 2026Source checked Sep 25, 2026First seen by HOL Sep 25, 2026Material review Sep 25, 2026

Upstream Advisory

Key facts

Risk: Unknown severitySource severity not reported
Exploitation: Not marked as known exploited
Affected software: 2 mapped packages or products
Fix availability: Available

Why this deserves its current priority

A CVSS score is not reported in the current record. The current sources do not mark it as known exploited. Treat this as a source-backed prioritization signal, not a statement about your environment.

Analysis status

Analysis pending evidence review

Factual feed record only; HOL analysis is not approved for indexing. Read the methodology.

Affected scope and exposure questions

The current feed maps Linux/Linux (generic), Linux/Linux (generic). Check affected ranges and fixed versions before updating.

Mapped affected packages and fixed versions
Package	Affected range	Fixed version
Linux/Linuxgeneric	>=e9800b7994642a794afd4894f072541c14277ce8 <2152a13ee2a9af09a668ebd053a8dbf771dadb80 \|\| >=e9800b7994642a794afd4894f072541c14277ce8 <2abf99a57b0b71b2b97745981f4039370ab78044 \|\| >=e9800b7994642a794afd4894f072541c14277ce8 <faf1eb2895c87a8c0fb920439dddc7e0d97c6a69 \|\| >=e9800b7994642a794afd4894f072541c14277ce8 <3db30f315935c2fb0d95f46b7a593b5b4d3ec3d0	2152a13ee2a9af09a668ebd053a8dbf771dadb80, 2abf99a57b0b71b2b97745981f4039370ab78044, faf1eb2895c87a8c0fb920439dddc7e0d97c6a69, 3db30f315935c2fb0d95f46b7a593b5b4d3ec3d0
Linux/Linuxgeneric	5.14	Not reported

Recommended response

Check inventory. Check lockfiles and deployed manifests for Linux/Linux, Linux/Linux.
Review the reported fix. Update Linux/Linux to 2152a13ee2a9af09a668ebd053a8dbf771dadb80 if you use the affected versions. Test the change in a non-production environment first.

Evidence timeline and material changes

Published upstream
Sep 25, 2026
Evidence: source:cvelist:source_dates:source-dates:record
Source modified
Sep 25, 2026
Evidence: source:cvelist:source_dates:source-dates:record
First seen by HOL
Sep 25, 2026

Sources and claim methodology

Upstream source description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: watchdog: msc313e: Fix clock leak and spurious timer in settimeout() msc313e_wdt_settimeout() unconditionally calls msc313e_wdt_start() which introduces two severe bugs: 1. If the watchdog is already active, calling start() again will increase the reference count of the clock again. However stop() is only called once, the reference count is unbalance. 2. If the watchdog is stopped, calling settimeout() will start the hardware timer accidentally. Factor out the register-writing logic into a helper function. Only call it in settimeout() if the watchdog is running. Otherwise, simply update `wdev->timeout`.

Quoted source text, attributed separately from HOL analysis.