VulnerabilityPublished 18 Oct 2026

CVE-2026-98842: Linux kernel · module: fix lost error code from codetag_load_module()

Source GCVE Database

Authoritative record:CVE-2026-98842· Medium

Not known to be exploited · fixed in c79cf15eb35a4c703bf18f8c33c47e80dd660f8e : update Linux kernel when convenient.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 12:55 UTC

Severity

Medium

Rated by Threat Radar · CVSS not yet scored by NVD

EPSS: 0.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 5% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch: Available – fixed in c79cf15eb35a4c703bf18f8c33c47e80dd660f8e, bfc721eef5c13704efe6864c7da2ad4b0d75f60a, 258310d59a82ea4854bfd9138682bbaac1153b19 +1

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-j9p6-994v-55hw

What to do

Upgrade Linux kernel to c79cf15eb35a4c703bf18f8c33c47e80dd660f8e, bfc721eef5c13704efe6864c7da2ad4b0d75f60a, 258310d59a82ea4854bfd9138682bbaac1153b19 or 6.16.

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
LinuxLinux	Affected >=6.15.4 <6.16	Fixed in c79cf15eb35a4c703bf18f8c33c47e80dd660f8e bfc721eef5c13704efe6864c7da2ad4b0d75f60a 258310d59a82ea4854bfd9138682bbaac1153b19 6.16
LinuxLinux	Affected =6.16	Fixed in–

AI-suggested

A fix has been implemented to address this vulnerability by correcting error code handling and cleaning up leaked memory in livepatch modules. Users should update their Linux kernel to the fixed version once available. Patch status is not explicitly confirmed in the provided data; check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance.

Description

A vulnerability in the Linux kernel module loading process was resolved. The function codetag_load_module() did not properly set an error code upon failure, causing load_module() to incorrectly return success (0) after the module teardown. Additionally, a memory leak occurred for livepatch modules due to mod->klp_info not being freed on this error path. This issue has been fixed by ensuring the error code is set and the livepatch memory is properly cleaned up.

Impact

The vulnerability could cause the kernel to incorrectly report successful module loading when it actually failed, potentially leading to inconsistent system states or error handling issues. The memory leak in livepatch modules could lead to resource exhaustion over time if the error path is triggered repeatedly. There is no indication of direct exploitation or security breach from this flaw.

Summary

The Linux kernel contained a vulnerability where codetag_load_module() failed to set an error code when it encountered an error, leading load_module() to return 0 (success) despite the module being torn down. This could cause incorrect error handling by callers. Furthermore, for livepatch modules, the mod->klp_info structure allocated by copy_module_elf() leaked memory on this failure path. The fix involves setting the error code correctly and freeing the livepatch info via a new livepatch_cleanup label.

References

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