Cloudanix VulnDB

CVE-2026-98409

None

CVSS

—

EPSS

0.2%

Published

Oct 14, 2026

CISA due date

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Cloudanix analysis

Schedule a fix SSVC: Track

A bug in certain Linux watchdog hardware drivers could make the system crash unexpectedly if a clock rate value is missing.

Exploitation
Local Privilege
Attacker needs
Local User
Complexity
Moderate
Impact
Denial Of Service
Component
OS kernel
Class
Improper Input Validation
Remediation
Upgrade
Effort
Medium
Patch risk
Low

What it actually does

clk_get_rate() returning zero leads to an unchecked division operation inside the rtd119x watchdog driver, triggering a kernel panic.

Why it matters to the business

Systems using the affected watchdog hardware may experience sudden crashes or reboots during driver initialization or clock-rate queries, interrupting services and requiring manual recovery.

How an attack unfolds

An attacker with the ability to influence clock configuration or trigger watchdog probe paths can force clk_get_rate() to return zero, causing the division and subsequent kernel panic; no remote code execution is possible.

How to fix it

Apply the upstream kernel commit that adds a zero check before the division in the rtd119x watchdog driver; rebuild and deploy the patched kernel on affected devices.

How to confirm the fix worked

Confirm the presence of the zero-check patch in the watchdog rtd119x source; boot the system and verify that clk_get_rate() returning zero no longer causes a panic.

Typical attack path

  1. Gain local access or trigger watchdog module load on rtd119x hardware
  2. Manipulate clock sources so clk_get_rate() returns zero
  3. Initiate watchdog registration or rate calculation
  4. Trigger the unchecked division resulting in panic

How to detect it

Review kernel logs for division-by-zero oops or panic messages referencing the rtd119x watchdog driver during module load or device probe.

What your security team should do

  • Prioritize patching kernel images for any rtd119x-based embedded devices
  • Monitor upstream stable kernel releases for the backported fix
  • Test watchdog functionality in lab environments before production rollout

The record

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: watchdog: rtd119x: Avoid division by zero clk_get_rate() could return 0. Avoid a division by zero panic.

Affected packages

Ecosystem Package Introduced Fixed