CVE-2026-97992: Linux kernel · vhost-vdpa: protect config_ctx from being freed under the config callback
Affects Linux kernelSource GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 17:16 UTC
Rated by Threat Radar · 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.
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 adds a spinlock to protect access to the config_ctx pointer, preventing use-after-free conditions. Users should update to a patched version of the linux-hwe-edge kernel that includes this fix. Since this is a kernel vulnerability, applying the official kernel update from the vendor is the recommended remediation. No additional mitigations are indicated by the vendor advisory.
Description
A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's vhost-vdpa component was resolved. The flaw involves the config_ctx pointer being freed without proper synchronization during a config callback, leading to potential dereference of freed memory. This occurs because the callback signals an eventfd context without holding a lock or taking a reference, while another thread may concurrently free the context. The issue is reachable from userspace with access to /dev/vduse, which is root by default. The fix adds a spinlock to protect access to config_ctx, ensuring safe signaling or null observation before freeing. This vulnerability affects specific linux-hwe-edge kernel versions.
References
- ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2026-97992 (opens in a new tab)
- cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-97992 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/62be4e3e5f5f947fbf765b914cebdc478f715d12 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/f4a93f15ed1c8406ba5c8e5b28cafacb2b3bcd11 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/5a075ee2398929d5cc1393666f219c35332becb1 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/bf35c8948ab7a3eaf1f724fa1e870e3f73a1749b (opens in a new tab)