VulnerabilityPublished 25 Sep 2026Updated 19 Oct 2026

CVE-2026-97599: Linux kernel · ieee802154: hwsim: serialize pib updates to fix double-free

Affects Linux kernelSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · fixed in e3b4681197aa026bd2d79358de5a3d62b76b04b9 : patch Linux kernel soon.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 14:05 UTC

Severity

High

Rated High by Threat Radar's AI analysis · CVSS not yet scored by NVD

EPSS: 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 9% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch: Available – fixed in e3b4681197aa026bd2d79358de5a3d62b76b04b9, db6442deecb1f13aeaf4f9d77746ea7555630fb3, d3b8f264ce09573aededd0a97dc41c8147797d8f +2

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 25 Sep 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC or the CVSS exploit maturity reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Upgrade to a fixed release listed under Affected software.

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
LinuxLinux	Affected ≥ f25da51fdc381ca2863248c7060b3662632f0872, < e3b4681197aa026bd2d79358de5a3d62b76b04b9	Fixed in e3b4681197aa026bd2d79358de5a3d62b76b04b9
LinuxLinux	Affected ≥ f25da51fdc381ca2863248c7060b3662632f0872, < db6442deecb1f13aeaf4f9d77746ea7555630fb3	Fixed in db6442deecb1f13aeaf4f9d77746ea7555630fb3
LinuxLinux	Affected ≥ f25da51fdc381ca2863248c7060b3662632f0872, < d3b8f264ce09573aededd0a97dc41c8147797d8f	Fixed in d3b8f264ce09573aededd0a97dc41c8147797d8f
LinuxLinux	Affected ≥ f25da51fdc381ca2863248c7060b3662632f0872, < 9973b3a67a7592a780ea12b08334539a900deec1	Fixed in 9973b3a67a7592a780ea12b08334539a900deec1
LinuxLinux	Affected ≥ f25da51fdc381ca2863248c7060b3662632f0872, < 979d5b8de8ed4e1f997aef12da5694b99be7b871	Fixed in 979d5b8de8ed4e1f997aef12da5694b99be7b871
LinuxLinux	Affected =4.19	Fixed in–

AI-suggested

A fix is available in the Linux kernel as indicated by the fixed commit versions. Users should update to a Linux kernel version that includes the patches identified by the fixed commit hashes to remediate this vulnerability.

Description

CVE-2026-97599 is a vulnerability in the Linux kernel's ieee802154 hwsim component where unsynchronized updates to the phy->pib pointer can cause a double-free condition. This occurs because the function hwsim_update_pib() performs a read-swap-free operation without proper locking, leading to race conditions between RTNL-held and non-RTNL-held updates. The flaw can cause kernel memory corruption detected by KASAN. The issue is fixed by adding a lock to serialize pib updates and making the pointer swap atomic.

Impact

This vulnerability can cause kernel memory corruption due to a double-free condition in the ieee802154 hwsim driver. Such memory corruption can lead to kernel crashes or undefined behavior, potentially affecting system stability and security. There is no indication of known exploitation in the wild.

Summary

The Linux kernel ieee802154 hwsim driver had a double-free vulnerability due to unsynchronized updates of the phy->pib pointer. The function hwsim_update_pib() assumed RTNL lock was held but was called in contexts without it, causing concurrent updates to race and both free the same memory. This leads to a double-free and potential kernel memory corruption. The fix involves adding a lock to serialize pib updates and using rcu_replace_pointer() atomically, removing the incorrect rtnl_dereference() usage.

References

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 26 Oct 2026, 13:38 UTC

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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