CVE-2026-98284: Linux kernel · netlink: do not free nlk->groups while lockless readers can use it
Affects Linux kernelSource CVE Database V5
Not known to be exploited : upgrade to ceac0de741bfb47ca255eee075257b3bb31f0651 or 22f313e211d58a66786c81487c3905fa5d4b2a8f soon.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 14:05 UTC
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 4% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
- Patch
- Available – fixed in ceac0de741bfb47ca255eee075257b3bb31f0651, 22f313e211d58a66786c81487c3905fa5d4b2a8f
Exploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 6 Oct 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
Upgrade Linux kernel to ceac0de741bfb47ca255eee075257b3bb31f0651 or 22f313e211d58a66786c81487c3905fa5d4b2a8f.
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| LinuxLinux | Affected
| Fixed in
|
| LinuxLinux | Affected
| Fixed in
|
| LinuxLinux | Affected
| Fixed in– |
AI-suggested
A fix is available and has been applied in the Linux kernel as identified by the fixed commit hashes. Users should update their Linux kernel to a version including these fixes to mitigate the vulnerability. No additional mitigation steps are indicated or required beyond applying the official patch.
Description
A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's netlink subsystem was fixed. The flaw involved freeing the nlk->groups bitmap while lockless readers could still access it, leading to potential use of freed memory. The fix involves deferring freeing until after an RCU grace period and adjusting memory publication order to ensure safe lockless reads.