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VulnerabilityPublished Updated

CVE-2026-98281: Linux kernel · futex: Also allocate private hash on vfork()

Affects Linux kernelSource CVE Database V5

0

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.8 High · fixed in eecbafa8cabbc4d1482f6a5e2acc25a8f934681b : patch Linux kernel soon.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 13:47 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 2% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch
Available – fixed in eecbafa8cabbc4d1482f6a5e2acc25a8f934681b, b61b6f95d6722ddbbbd09e689fa41b55fd36f9a5, 5468a4855b63b30156a79e5248e01bf1a2c18dd7 +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 6 Oct 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
  • >=6.18.33 <6.18.54
  • >=7.0.10 <7.1
Fixed in
  • eecbafa8cabbc4d1482f6a5e2acc25a8f934681b
  • b61b6f95d6722ddbbbd09e689fa41b55fd36f9a5
  • 5468a4855b63b30156a79e5248e01bf1a2c18dd7
  • 7.1
  • 6.18.54
LinuxLinuxAffected
  • =7.1
Fixed in–

AI-suggested

A fix is available and has been applied in Linux kernel versions 6.18.54 and 7.1. Users and administrators should upgrade to these or later versions to remediate the vulnerability. No additional mitigation steps are indicated beyond applying the official patches.

Description

CVE-2026-98281 is a high-severity vulnerability in the Linux kernel related to futex handling during vfork() calls. The issue arises because the kernel did not allocate a private futex hash on vfork(), which can lead to unsafe access to memory management structures. This vulnerability has been resolved by ensuring that a private hash is allocated on vfork() and other CLONE_VM users, preventing private futex waiters from existing before this allocation.

References

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