VulnerabilityPublished 18 Oct 2026

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

Source GCVE Database

Authoritative record:CVE-2026-98834· High

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

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 14:05 UTC

Severity

High

Rated by Threat Radar · 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.

ghsa-cqw6-frjh-g7f6

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

A fix has been implemented in the Linux kernel to clear the mtd->otp_user_nvmem pointer after unregistering the device, preventing the double-free condition. Users should apply the official kernel updates that include this fix. No additional mitigation steps are indicated.

Description

A double-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's mtd core component related to the OTP NVMEM device has been resolved. The issue occurs if the factory OTP setup fails after the user OTP NVMEM device registration, leading to multiple unregister attempts without clearing the pointer. This flaw could cause kernel instability or crashes due to improper memory management.

Impact

This vulnerability can lead to kernel memory corruption due to double-free, potentially causing system instability or crashes. There is no information about exploitation in the wild or direct security impact such as privilege escalation or information disclosure.

Summary

The vulnerability in the Linux kernel's mtd core involves a double-free condition of the OTP NVMEM device. Specifically, if the factory OTP setup fails after the user OTP NVMEM device has been registered, the function mtd_otp_nvmem_add() unregisters the user device but leaves the mtd->otp_user_nvmem pointer set. On error, the caller unregisters the device again, causing a double-free. Additionally, for the -EOPNOTSUPP error, registration continues and normal teardown unregisters the device again, also leading to double-free. The fix clears the mtd->otp_user_nvmem pointer after unregistering to prevent this condition.

References

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