VulnerabilityPublished 25 Sep 2026Updated 19 Oct 2026

CVE-2026-98000: Linux kernel · hwmon: Fix potential UAF in pec_store

Affects Linux kernelSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · fixed in 354ccc99b2dc8ba0cf6d4de34e520bcf6ecca5c2 : 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: 0.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 5% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch: Available – fixed in 354ccc99b2dc8ba0cf6d4de34e520bcf6ecca5c2, 8afab57bcdbc2186f325972e777880ac5a220f4f, 01dd8b4fc2cf83c66565c0f382fb1841e9000a89

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 Linux kernel to 354ccc99b2dc8ba0cf6d4de34e520bcf6ecca5c2, 8afab57bcdbc2186f325972e777880ac5a220f4f or 01dd8b4fc2cf83c66565c0f382fb1841e9000a89.

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
LinuxLinux	Affected ≥ 3ad2a7b9b15d5072139a20be84adb36776eb6c9b, < 354ccc99b2dc8ba0cf6d4de34e520bcf6ecca5c2	Fixed in 354ccc99b2dc8ba0cf6d4de34e520bcf6ecca5c2
LinuxLinux	Affected ≥ 3ad2a7b9b15d5072139a20be84adb36776eb6c9b, < 8afab57bcdbc2186f325972e777880ac5a220f4f	Fixed in 8afab57bcdbc2186f325972e777880ac5a220f4f
LinuxLinux	Affected ≥ 3ad2a7b9b15d5072139a20be84adb36776eb6c9b, < 01dd8b4fc2cf83c66565c0f382fb1841e9000a89	Fixed in 01dd8b4fc2cf83c66565c0f382fb1841e9000a89
LinuxLinux	Affected =6.18	Fixed in–

AI-suggested

A fix is available and has been applied in the Linux kernel. Users and administrators should update to the fixed kernel versions identified by the commits 354ccc99b2dc8ba0cf6d4de34e520bcf6ecca5c2, 8afab57bcdbc2186f325972e777880ac5a220f4f, and 01dd8b4fc2cf83c66565c0f382fb1841e9000a89. No additional mitigation steps are indicated.

Description

A use-after-free (UAF) vulnerability was identified and fixed in the Linux kernel's hwmon subsystem within the pec_store function. The issue arises when an error during a chip write operation leads to premature freeing of a device while a mutex lock is still held, causing the cleanup code to unlock a freed mutex. This flaw has been addressed by replacing the guard() mechanism with scoped_guard() to ensure proper mutex handling.

Impact

This vulnerability could lead to undefined behavior such as kernel crashes or memory corruption due to unlocking a freed mutex. While no known exploits are reported in the wild, successful exploitation could affect system stability or security by corrupting kernel memory.

Summary

CVE-2026-98000 describes a use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel hwmon subsystem's pec_store() function. When a chip write operation returns an error other than -EOPNOTSUPP, the code jumps to a cleanup label that calls put_device(hdev). If this call drops the final reference, the device is freed. Subsequently, the guard cleanup function attempts to unlock a mutex that has already been freed, leading to a potential use-after-free condition. The fix involves using scoped_guard() instead of guard() to manage the mutex lifecycle safely.

References

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 26 Oct 2026, 13:08 UTC

Technical details

References

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