Executive brief
The Linux kernel's Logitech HID++ force-feedback driver for gaming peripherals (like the G920 steering wheel) fails to clean up allocated resources when device initialization encounters memory allocation errors. This causes memory leaks and leaves orphaned device objects in the kernel, degrading system stability over time if initialization failures occur repeatedly.
Technical details
The hidpp_ff_init() function in the HID++ driver creates a force-feedback input device via input_ff_create(), then allocates three resources: HID++ FF private data, an effect ID array, and a workqueue. If any allocation after input_ff_create() succeeds fails, the function returns an error without calling input_ff_destroy() or freeing the allocated data structures, resulting in a memory leak. The fix introduces a proper error unwind path with goto labels (err_destroy_ff, err_free_data, err_free_effect_ids) that ensures all resources are released in reverse allocation order. No network exposure; requires the affected HID device to be present and initialization to fail mid-way through allocation.
Affected products
- Linux Linux kernel multiple versions (fix applied across stable branches 4.14.y through 7.2.y and rolling branches)
Timeline
- 2026-06-23: other: Patch authored by Haoxiang Li
- 2026-08-03: disclosed: Commit dd5be4d9ce2dfc4d4a4527ef7d31d21a78e3cdac merged into mainline via HID subsystem
- 2026-09-14: patched: Backported to stable kernel tree as 13378c9ac0a1bcdf49ba158e4199594aafb589cd
- 2026-09-17: advisory: CVE-2026-90330 published