The VIDTV driver in the Linux kernel fails to decrement its nfeeds counter when starting a feed fails, leaving the driver state inconsistent. This state corruption causes the driver to skip starting the mux for subsequent feeds and to incorrectly attempt to stop non‑existent streams. The premature skip also prevents proper cleanup of partially allocated resources, which results in a memory leak. Together these issues can cause unstable media driver behavior and gradual kernel memory consumption growth.

The vulnerability affects the Linux kernel media subsystem, specifically the vidtv test driver. The CVE lists the generic Linux kernel CPE, and no precise kernel version range is identified. Because the vidtv driver is part of the standard kernel distribution, any Linux kernel that includes this driver without the patch is potentially impacted. There are no vendor–product subtleties beyond the general Linux kernel.

The flaw manifests as an internal state corruption when a start_streaming call fails. In the Linux kernel this condition can only be triggered by code running with kernel privileges, implying a local attack vector. The CVSS score of 5.5 indicates medium severity, while the low EPSS score (<1%) and absence from the CISA KEV list reflect a low likelihood of exploitation. If an attacker gains the ability to execute kernel code, they could repeatedly trigger start_streaming failures that incrementally increase the nfeeds counter, leading to memory leaks and potential denial of service. This aligns with CWE‑911: Improper Restriction or Removal of Access to a Resource in the Presence of a Failure, as well as CWE‑401: Unreleased Resource. The applied fix decrements the counter on failure, restoring state consistency and preventing resource exhaustion.