CVE-2026-97998: Linux kernel · netfilter: nfnetlink_log: cope with concurrent instance destruction
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 11% 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 for this vulnerability has been implemented in the Linux kernel. Users should update to patched kernel versions to remediate this issue. Since this is a kernel-level flaw, applying the official kernel updates from the vendor or distribution is the recommended mitigation.
Description
A concurrency issue in the Linux kernel's netfilter nfnetlink_log subsystem could cause a general protection fault due to improper handling of instance destruction when multiple sockets interact with the same port ID. This flaw arises from uncoordinated memory unlinking during refcount transitions, potentially leading to a kernel crash.
References
- ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2026-97998 (opens in a new tab)
- cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-97998 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/0234d7ca0317be0a623300e1693cd794bbfdf8af (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/387d744fa7e499d2c3748a4e60e02ebb24e7fb16 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/e2dd0f1f8c4e6334699ea6382e52f6da0c7e45eb (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/1a7a8ac9a9f0ad0d410c901cb6f233833518844c (opens in a new tab)
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-97998 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/042465e7d3d3127e21f04e42c1639e2518b98915 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/291685fc8d2e4cf75ed3a23c810883653f407f46 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/3161186a2ff81288e9a5f35daf1911153764ecae (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/c5c89beaa628d6ac527c6eb2e01b2b52eb417f59 (opens in a new tab)