VulnerabilityPublished 25 Sep 2026Updated 19 Oct 2026

CVE-2026-98014: Linux kernel · net/mlx5: E-Switch, prevent mc_list repopulation during vport disable

Affects Linux kernelSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · fixed in c0c6f4ba8a37688f7b4d4044898d88f0450d44c2 : patch Linux kernel soon.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 16:39 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 6% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch: Available – fixed in c0c6f4ba8a37688f7b4d4044898d88f0450d44c2, 69904608e25e8ba58111aadd9210892cf3876201, 2196f9d3358b00fcb28835a5fde14071f51ecb96 +8

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 >=5.15.105 <5.15.222 >=6.1.22 <6.1.189 >=5.10.177 <5.11 >=6.2.9 <6.3	Fixed in c0c6f4ba8a37688f7b4d4044898d88f0450d44c2 69904608e25e8ba58111aadd9210892cf3876201 2196f9d3358b00fcb28835a5fde14071f51ecb96 668e050429c7ca688cf4e7112f97f0cd269d446b 413e04adcc1fd263cf02b1b83b4a0dbdc66bcee9 72cfcb79026cffb6490f5044153a841d360b0cfc 6.3 6.1.189 5a2b87dfceccf9065157a14a599d395c2b6281b8 5.15.222 5.11
LinuxLinux	Affected =6.3	Fixed in–

AI-suggested

A fix is available and has been applied in Linux kernel versions 5.15.222, 6.1.189, 6.3, and related commits. Users should upgrade to these fixed versions or later to mitigate the issue. No additional mitigation steps are required beyond applying the official kernel updates.

Description

A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's mlx5 Ethernet switch (E-Switch) component could lead to use-after-free and memory corruption during virtual port (vport) disable operations. The flaw occurs due to improper handling of multicast list repopulation during firmware fatal recovery, causing dangling pointers and potential kernel crashes. The issue has been fixed by reordering function calls to ensure proper clearing of multicast rules before changes are applied.

Impact

The vulnerability can cause kernel memory corruption, use-after-free conditions, and page faults, potentially leading to system instability or crashes during device reset operations. This affects systems using the mlx5 driver in affected Linux kernel versions, impacting network functionality and reliability.

Summary

CVE-2026-98014 addresses a flaw in the Linux kernel's mlx5 E-Switch implementation where, during vport disable in firmware fatal recovery, the multicast list (mc_list) is improperly repopulated. This happens because the promiscuous query fails and returns early, leaving the allmulti_rule intact, which leads to additional multicast entries being added. When the forwarding database (FDB) is torn down, these stale references cause corruption and dangling flow_rule pointers, resulting in use-after-free and page faults. The fix moves the call to esw_apply_vport_rx_mode() ahead of esw_vport_change_handle_locked() to ensure the allmulti_rule is NULL before the change handler runs, preventing rule installation during disable and starting with a clean multicast list.

References

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 26 Oct 2026, 13:06 UTC

Technical details

References

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