CVE-2026-98511

A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's Nouveau GPU driver. When attempting to re-pin a memory buffer into an incompatible memory domain, the driver rejects the request but fails to prevent an increment of the buffer's pin count. Because callers do not unpin after an error, this causes an unbalanced pin counter that local users can trigger, resulting in kernel warnings and potentially leading to a Denial of Service (DoS).

This vulnerability is rated as having a Moderate impact because exploitation is constrained to authenticated local users interacting with the Nouveau DRM graphics interface on systems equipped with NVIDIA hardware. Typical Red Hat Enterprise Linux server installations do not utilize NVIDIA hardware acceleration or open-source graphics drivers, significantly restricting overall exposure. When triggered via mismatched memory domain pin requests, the flaw causes an unpin mismatch that leads to kernel warning assertions or system instability, resulting in a local denial of service without compromising data confidentiality or integrity.

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.