VulnerabilityPublished 18 Oct 2026

CVE-2026-98834: Linux kernel · mtd: core: avoid double-free of OTP NVMEM device

Affects Linux kernelSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · fixed in cecf007418b93a2cbc94269e07fe2fb28f54d8fb : patch Linux kernel soon.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 13:47 UTC

Severity

High

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 cecf007418b93a2cbc94269e07fe2fb28f54d8fb, 26300879cd8e4612dce66bb8f6ff7cd35fcf3e59, 6.4 +3

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.

What to do

Upgrade to a fixed release listed under Affected software.

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
LinuxLinux	Affected >=5.15.111 <5.16 >=6.1.28 <6.2 >=6.2.15 <6.3 >=6.3.2 <6.4	Fixed in cecf007418b93a2cbc94269e07fe2fb28f54d8fb 26300879cd8e4612dce66bb8f6ff7cd35fcf3e59 6.4 6.3 6.2 5.16
LinuxLinux	Affected =6.4	Fixed in–

AI-suggested

The vulnerability has been fixed in Linux kernel versions 5.16, 6.2, 6.3, and 6.4. Users and administrators should upgrade to these or later kernel versions to remediate the issue. No additional mitigation steps are indicated.

Description

CVE-2026-98834 is a vulnerability in the Linux kernel's memory technology device (mtd) core subsystem involving a double-free of the OTP NVMEM device. The issue occurs when the factory OTP setup fails after the user OTP NVMEM device has been registered, leading to multiple unregister attempts without clearing the pointer, which can cause memory corruption. This flaw has been fixed in Linux kernel versions 5.16, 6.2, 6.3, and 6.4.

Impact

The double-free vulnerability can lead to memory corruption within the kernel, which may cause system instability or potentially allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges. However, no known exploits in the wild have been reported for this issue.

Summary

The vulnerability arises in the Linux kernel's mtd core where the OTP NVMEM device can be double-freed if the factory OTP setup fails after the user OTP NVMEM device registration. Specifically, mtd_otp_nvmem_add() unregisters the user device but leaves the mtd->otp_user_nvmem pointer set. On error paths, the caller unregisters the device again, causing a double-free. The fix clears the mtd->otp_user_nvmem pointer after unregistering to prevent this condition. This issue affects multiple kernel versions prior to 5.16, 6.2, 6.3, and 6.4 where the fix was applied.

References

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 26 Oct 2026, 09:43 UTC

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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