VulnerabilityPublished 18 Oct 2026

CVE-2026-98693: Linux kernel · thunderbolt: Hold a router reference for each allocated HopID

Source GCVE Database

Authoritative record:CVE-2026-98693· Medium

Not known to be exploited · fixed in c444d2c17dc236680324fd989232199680a6c419 : update Linux kernel when convenient.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 14:05 UTC

Severity

Medium

Rated by Threat Radar · CVSS not yet scored by NVD

EPSS: 0.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 9% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch: Available – fixed in c444d2c17dc236680324fd989232199680a6c419, 032c59c7681c661b63123231824170c025afb7e7, 2b5f976119d8f099a03cbf700df3d9c8690fe33d

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-4h8h-x3h6-2f57

What to do

Upgrade Linux kernel to c444d2c17dc236680324fd989232199680a6c419, 032c59c7681c661b63123231824170c025afb7e7 or 2b5f976119d8f099a03cbf700df3d9c8690fe33d.

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
LinuxLinux	Affected ≥ d6d458d42e1e1544a18f37f1d5c840e00d5261b9, < c444d2c17dc236680324fd989232199680a6c419	Fixed in c444d2c17dc236680324fd989232199680a6c419
LinuxLinux	Affected ≥ d6d458d42e1e1544a18f37f1d5c840e00d5261b9, < 032c59c7681c661b63123231824170c025afb7e7	Fixed in 032c59c7681c661b63123231824170c025afb7e7
LinuxLinux	Affected ≥ d6d458d42e1e1544a18f37f1d5c840e00d5261b9, < 2b5f976119d8f099a03cbf700df3d9c8690fe33d	Fixed in 2b5f976119d8f099a03cbf700df3d9c8690fe33d
LinuxLinux	Affected =6.14	Fixed in–
Debiandebian/linux`pkg:deb/debian/linux`Other threats	Affected =6.14	Fixed in–

Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.

AI-suggested

A fix has been implemented in the Linux kernel to hold router references for each allocated HopID and properly release them after use, preventing the use-after-free condition. Users and administrators should apply the official Linux kernel updates that include this fix. Since this is a kernel-level issue, upgrading to a patched kernel version is the recommended remediation. No additional mitigation steps are indicated by the vendor advisory.

Description

A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's Thunderbolt driver was resolved involving improper management of router references for allocated HopIDs. The tb_stop() function drops references to DP tunnels without deactivating them, allowing tunnels to outlive their expected lifecycle and causing operations on freed IDAs, which triggers warnings. This issue can occur when unbinding the driver while a DP tunnel is still active, notably during Apple NHI device unplug events. The fix involves holding a router reference for each allocated HopID to ensure proper lifecycle management.

Impact

The vulnerability can cause kernel warnings and potential instability due to operations on freed IDAs when DP tunnels outlive their expected lifecycle. This can occur during driver unbinding while DP tunnels are still active, potentially leading to resource management issues in the Thunderbolt subsystem. There is no indication of direct code execution or privilege escalation from the provided data.

References

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