The Linux kernel’s QAT crypto driver fails to detach registered IRQ handlers when a probe error occurs. Instead, the MSI‑X vectors are freed while handlers remain attached, leaving residual /proc entries such as ‘qat0-bundle0’ and emitting remove_proc_entry warnings. This improper cleanup can leave the kernel in an unstable state and may allow a faulted driver to trigger a kernel panic or degrade system reliability; it matches a resource leakage issue (CWE‑459).

Any Linux kernel that includes the QAT crypto driver is potentially affected. No specific version range is provided, so all distributions shipping the kernel with the qat driver may be vulnerable until a kernel update containing the fix is applied.

The CVSS score is 5.5, indicating a moderate vulnerability. The EPSS score is reported as < 1%, suggesting a low probability of exploitation in the wild. The vulnerability is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog. The exploit is local, requiring privileged or physical access to a QAT device. An attacker that can force the probe to fail during initialization can cause orphaned IRQ handlers and remove_proc_entry warnings, potentially leading to a kernel crash or a degradation of system reliability. Remote exploitation is unlikely, but if the attacker already has privilege, the impact of a denial of service could be severe.