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Response snapshot Oct 30, 2026, 19:11 UTC

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VulnerabilityCVE-2026-72144

Linux kernel: platform/x86: dell-laptop: fix missing cleanups in init error path

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: platform/x86: dell-laptop: fix missing cleanups in init error path dell_init() initializes several resources after dell_setup_rfkill(), including the optional touchpad LED, keyboard backlight LED, battery hook, debugfs directory and dell-laptop notifier.

At a glance

Exploited
Not known
Severity
7.8 High (CVSS 3.1)
Chance of exploitation
0.2% in the next 30 days
Sources
1 source

What to do

Check the vendor advisory for affected versions and fixes.

Read NVD CVE-2026-72144 (opens a new tab)

What happened

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

platform/x86: dell-laptop: fix missing cleanups in init error path

dell_init() initializes several resources after dell_setup_rfkill(), including the optional touchpad LED, keyboard backlight LED, battery hook, debugfs directory and dell-laptop notifier.

If a later LED or backlight registration fails, the error path only tears down the battery hook and rfkill resources. This leaves the notifier, debugfs directory, keyboard backlight LED and optional touchpad LED registered after dell_init() returns an error.

Continue reading

Add the missing cleanup calls before tearing down rfkill.

Scores and how they were measured

CVSS base severity

7.8

Version 3.1As of

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Measurement source (opens a new tab)

How bad it is if exploited. Not a prediction of exploitation or proof you are exposed.

EPSS probability

0.2%

Scored Percentile 5.5%

Model and measurement source (opens a new tab)

A model's estimate of exploitation in the next 30 days, not certainty or your own risk.

Related technology

Sources

  1. Primary source

    NVD CVE-2026-72144 (opens a new tab)

    NVD record: description, CVSS (the CNA score is preferred), affected products, and publication date. Not evidence of exploitation.

    Published Checked

  2. Primary source

    NVD CVE API 2.0 (opens a new tab)

    The NVD API page that supplied this CVE record.

    Published Date not suppliedChecked

  3. Primary source

    NVD CVE API 2.0 (opens a new tab)

    The NVD API page that supplied this CVE record.

    Published Date not suppliedChecked

  4. Primary source

    NVD CVE API 2.0 (opens a new tab)

    The NVD API page that supplied this CVE record.

    Published Date not suppliedChecked

  5. Primary source

    FIRST measured EPSS score (opens a new tab)

    Measured EPSS probability and percentile for CVE-2026-72144, scored 2026-10-30. This is a model estimate, not proof of exposure.

    Published Checked

Cite this record

For factual claims, cite the primary sources above; cite KEVWire for its compilation, dates, and classifications.

APA

KEVWire. (2026, October 30). Linux kernel: platform/x86: dell-laptop: fix missing cleanups in init error path (CVE-2026-72144). https://kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-72144

MLA

"Linux kernel: platform/x86: dell-laptop: fix missing cleanups in init error path (CVE-2026-72144)." KEVWire, 30 Oct. 2026, kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-72144.

Chicago

KEVWire. "Linux kernel: platform/x86: dell-laptop: fix missing cleanups in init error path (CVE-2026-72144)." Last modified October 30, 2026. https://kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-72144.

Evidence summary (plain text)

Linux kernel: platform/x86: dell-laptop: fix missing cleanups in init error path (Aug 15, 2026).
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

platform/x86: dell-laptop: fix missing cleanups in init error path

dell_init() initializes several resources after dell_setup_rfkill(),
including the optional touchpad LED, keyboard backlight LED, battery
hook, debugfs directory and dell-laptop notifier.

If a later LED or backlight registration fails, the error path only
tears down the battery hook and rfkill resources. This leaves the
notifier, debugfs directory, keyboard backlight LED and optional
touchpad LED registered after dell_init() returns an error.
CVSS 7.8 (version 3.1; evidence as of Oct 30, 2026; https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-72144).
EPSS 0.2% for the following 30 days, scored Oct 30, 2026 (https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-72144&date=2026-10-30).
Sources:
NVD CVE-2026-72144: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-72144
NVD CVE API 2.0: https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?lastModStartDate=2026-10-30T13:06:45.042Z&lastModEndDate=2026-10-30T14:50:57.069Z&resultsPerPage=500&startIndex=500
NVD CVE API 2.0: https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?lastModStartDate=2026-10-30T12:22:16.957Z&lastModEndDate=2026-10-30T14:05:57.373Z&resultsPerPage=500&startIndex=500
NVD CVE API 2.0: https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?lastModStartDate=2026-10-30T11:45:59.009Z&lastModEndDate=2026-10-30T13:20:57.281Z&resultsPerPage=500&startIndex=500
FIRST measured EPSS score: https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-72144&date=2026-10-30
Record ID: CVE-2026-72144.
Record origin: Ingested record.
AI evidence: Not assessed.
Known exploitation: Not assessed.
Zero-day status: Not assessed. KEV membership alone does not establish zero-day status.
About this data

This record was ingested from a data source. Retrieved: Oct 30, 2026, 14:52 UTC. Ingestion is not an independent editorial investigation.

NVD status: Received. Publication in the NVD is not evidence of exploitation.

A CISA KEV listing documents known exploitation, not necessarily a zero-day; absence from the catalog does not prove a vulnerability has never been exploited.

Technology tags indicate possible relevance, not verified exposure. Confirm the affected product, version, and configuration against your own inventory; KEVWire does not scan your systems.

A personal reading checklist on this device, not verified remediation.

Record JSON

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Record details

Record detail