CVE-2026-97959: Linux kernel · net/sched: cls_route: free emptied bucket on filter move
Affects Linux kernelSource GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 14:05 UTC
Rated by Threat Radar · CVSS not yet scored by NVD
- EPSS
- 0.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 7% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
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.
What to do
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinuxpkg:deb/ubuntu/linux?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-awspkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-aws?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-azurepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-azure-fdepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure-fde?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-gcppkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-gcp?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-gkepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-gke?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.
AI-suggested
A fix is available that implements reference counting on filters linked to buckets and frees buckets when no filters remain. Users should update to patched linux-aws kernel versions that include this fix. No additional mitigation is required beyond applying the official patch.
Description
A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's net/sched cls_route component causes a memory leak by not freeing emptied buckets when filters are moved between buckets. This occurs because the bucket is not freed after the last filter is unlinked, leading to stale empty buckets remaining in memory. The issue affects specific linux-aws kernel versions and has been resolved by adding reference counting to free buckets when no filters remain.
References
- ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2026-97959 (opens in a new tab)
- cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-97959 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/2e2f130951d34871b0643bf700164d97cff4b427 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/f8495d67434e1cb7e511297687ca55fdb28e4c20 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/1853f30cf5c84971f99788a76207c6f745380896 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/81dd117c04422c6d0c7974aba9fa6a0ba370959b (opens in a new tab)
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-97959 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/41e94079200aaf0cdbe4594b0af75710b33da124 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/48d38bf8c22a05fde07ba1f885cde27b851649a2 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/9e7741b41a25b9d49df4d262fa314342e6f95c50 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/cc99d26b12431e4e4d0e346ec32764eb42c0aed9 (opens in a new tab)