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VulnerabilityPublished Updated

CVE-2026-98073: Linux kernel · net: Remove conflicting altnames for dying netns in __dev_change_net_namespace().

Affects Linux kernelSource CVE Database V5

0

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.8 High · fixed in debac3a20dec524a59625cf10fa2f18571127824 : patch Linux kernel soon.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 20:20 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score
7.8High
How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.
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 debac3a20dec524a59625cf10fa2f18571127824, ac6631843269e6a9b2164e393b7f729328711d78, a29ea5b5034654aaaa4aadd771f48c01abfd2dfa +2
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Exploitation evidence

  1. Disclosed: evidence found.

    CVE published 25 Sep 2026

  2. Detectable: no evidence on record.

    No public nuclei template indexed

  3. Weaponised: no evidence on record.

    No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB

  4. Exploited in the wild: no evidence on record.

    Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation

  5. Observed by OffSeq 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

Upgrade to a fixed release listed under Affected software.

Affected software

ProductAffectedFixed in
LinuxLinuxAffected
  • ≥ 36fbf1e52bd3ff8a5cb604955eedfc9350c2e6cc, < debac3a20dec524a59625cf10fa2f18571127824
Fixed in
  • debac3a20dec524a59625cf10fa2f18571127824
LinuxLinuxAffected
  • ≥ 36fbf1e52bd3ff8a5cb604955eedfc9350c2e6cc, < ac6631843269e6a9b2164e393b7f729328711d78
Fixed in
  • ac6631843269e6a9b2164e393b7f729328711d78
LinuxLinuxAffected
  • ≥ 36fbf1e52bd3ff8a5cb604955eedfc9350c2e6cc, < a29ea5b5034654aaaa4aadd771f48c01abfd2dfa
Fixed in
  • a29ea5b5034654aaaa4aadd771f48c01abfd2dfa
LinuxLinuxAffected
  • ≥ 36fbf1e52bd3ff8a5cb604955eedfc9350c2e6cc, < 54772bf503dd0e81e8b8db537fee6946de81e717
Fixed in
  • 54772bf503dd0e81e8b8db537fee6946de81e717
LinuxLinuxAffected
  • ≥ 36fbf1e52bd3ff8a5cb604955eedfc9350c2e6cc, < 119ac1716705af17fb74b3e33058a938a87eecd4
Fixed in
  • 119ac1716705af17fb74b3e33058a938a87eecd4
LinuxLinuxAffected
  • =5.5
Fixed in–

AI-suggested

A fix is available in the Linux kernel as indicated by multiple fixed commits. Users should update their Linux kernel to a version that includes these fixes to mitigate the vulnerability. Since this is a Linux kernel vulnerability, applying the official kernel patches or upgrading to a fixed kernel version is the recommended remediation.

Description

CVE-2026-98073 is a high-severity vulnerability in the Linux kernel affecting version 5.5. It involves conflicting alternative names (altnames) for network devices when changing network namespaces, which can cause warnings and potential instability during namespace cleanup. The issue arises when devices in different network namespaces share the same altname, leading to conflicts when a non-root namespace is removed. The vulnerability has been addressed by removing conflicting altnames for dying network namespaces in the __dev_change_net_namespace() function.

References

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