VulnerabilityPublished 18 Oct 2026

CVE-2026-98561: Linux kernel · nfp: hold IPsec RX state under the XArray lock

Source GCVE Database

Authoritative record:CVE-2026-98561· High

Not known to be exploited · fixed in fe6c8ea8bfd5d1253bb0de682b1fcc2c4bb92488 : patch Linux kernel soon.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 13:47 UTC

Severity

High

Rated by Threat Radar · CVSS not yet scored by NVD

EPSS: 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 10% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch: Available – fixed in fe6c8ea8bfd5d1253bb0de682b1fcc2c4bb92488, dd765023bb54f9650f8b9137906fb2c4a554dd1d, c1b1639fb138db52fcfbd1747e92f2454076c6d5 +2

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 18 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.

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.

ghsa-6wr4-6g5h-j9qm

What to do

Upgrade to a fixed release listed under Affected software.

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
LinuxLinux	Affected ≥ 57f273adbcd44172cbe0bd10b8b7408dd255699f, < fe6c8ea8bfd5d1253bb0de682b1fcc2c4bb92488	Fixed in fe6c8ea8bfd5d1253bb0de682b1fcc2c4bb92488
LinuxLinux	Affected ≥ 57f273adbcd44172cbe0bd10b8b7408dd255699f, < dd765023bb54f9650f8b9137906fb2c4a554dd1d	Fixed in dd765023bb54f9650f8b9137906fb2c4a554dd1d
LinuxLinux	Affected ≥ 57f273adbcd44172cbe0bd10b8b7408dd255699f, < c1b1639fb138db52fcfbd1747e92f2454076c6d5	Fixed in c1b1639fb138db52fcfbd1747e92f2454076c6d5
LinuxLinux	Affected ≥ 57f273adbcd44172cbe0bd10b8b7408dd255699f, < 8468d05aa08dc430b5675beadf6f6fb8943f170b	Fixed in 8468d05aa08dc430b5675beadf6f6fb8943f170b
LinuxLinux	Affected ≥ 57f273adbcd44172cbe0bd10b8b7408dd255699f, < 1a983a4e14c635c40354be110cd9a1a5c94e01e6	Fixed in 1a983a4e14c635c40354be110cd9a1a5c94e01e6
LinuxLinux	Affected =6.2	Fixed in–

AI-suggested

A fix has been implemented that changes the code to acquire the xfrm_state reference before releasing the XArray lock, preventing the race condition. Users should apply the official Linux kernel updates that include this fix once available. Patch status is not explicitly confirmed in the provided data; check the vendor advisory or Linux kernel mailing lists for the current remediation status.

Description

A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's nfp driver was resolved involving improper handling of IPsec RX state references under the XArray lock. The function nfp_net_ipsec_rx() released the XArray lock before safely acquiring a reference to the xfrm_state, allowing a race condition where the state could be deleted and its reference count dropped to zero. This could lead to attempts to increment a zero reference count after the state was queued for destruction. The issue arises because the asynchronous firmware invalidation and delayed garbage collection do not prevent invalid reference acquisition. The fix ensures the xfrm_state reference is taken before releasing the XArray lock, preventing the race condition.

References

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