CVE-2026-98502

A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's ALPS Human Interface Device (HID) driver. The driver fails to properly unregister and release a secondary input device when the hardware is removed. A local user could exploit this issue by repeatedly disconnecting the device, causing a memory leak that can lead to system resource exhaustion and a Denial of Service (DoS).

This vulnerability is rated as Low severity because exploitation requires local access to repeatedly connect and disconnect specific ALPS hardware devices or emulated peripherals, resulting only in a gradual resource leak without impacting system confidentiality or integrity. In typical Red Hat Enterprise Linux server and container environments, physical ALPS input hardware is rarely utilized, significantly reducing exposure. Virtualized deployments are only at risk if an unprivileged user possesses the rights to attach and detach emulated HID hardware.

The CVSS score(s) listed for this vulnerability do not reflect the associated product's status, and are included for informational purposes to better understand the severity of this vulnerability.