VulnerabilityPublished 18 Oct 2026

CVE-2026-98867: Linux kernel · dm-pcache: bound the logical key offset from persistent memory

Affects Linux kernelSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · fixed in 10449703200076980704894c3d68d6796182371b : patch Linux kernel soon.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 12:30 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 10449703200076980704894c3d68d6796182371b, 97fc4b53dbe4a983fdf093243067fa6a64562307, 3d5a87cb909c1f375f08065b20123fa5db5958d8

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 Linux kernel to 10449703200076980704894c3d68d6796182371b, 97fc4b53dbe4a983fdf093243067fa6a64562307 or 3d5a87cb909c1f375f08065b20123fa5db5958d8.

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
LinuxLinux	Affected ≥ 1d57628ff95b32d5cfa8d8f50e07690c161e9cf0, < 10449703200076980704894c3d68d6796182371b	Fixed in 10449703200076980704894c3d68d6796182371b
LinuxLinux	Affected ≥ 1d57628ff95b32d5cfa8d8f50e07690c161e9cf0, < 97fc4b53dbe4a983fdf093243067fa6a64562307	Fixed in 97fc4b53dbe4a983fdf093243067fa6a64562307
LinuxLinux	Affected ≥ 1d57628ff95b32d5cfa8d8f50e07690c161e9cf0, < 3d5a87cb909c1f375f08065b20123fa5db5958d8	Fixed in 3d5a87cb909c1f375f08065b20123fa5db5958d8
LinuxLinux	Affected =6.18	Fixed in–

AI-suggested

A fix is available and has been applied in the Linux kernel. Users should update to the fixed kernel version to remediate this vulnerability. No additional mitigation steps are indicated.

Description

A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's dm-pcache component allows an out-of-bounds access due to improper bounds checking of a logical key offset from persistent memory. The flaw occurs when cache_key_decode() uses an offset that can exceed the device size, leading to an invalid subtree pointer and potential memory corruption during replay. The issue is fixed by rejecting keys of zero length or those whose offset plus length exceed the device size.

Impact

This vulnerability can lead to out-of-bounds memory writes during replay operations in dm-pcache, potentially causing memory corruption. The exact impact on system stability or security is not detailed in the provided data, and no known exploits in the wild have been reported.

Summary

The Linux kernel's dm-pcache module had a vulnerability where the logical key offset used to index an array of subtrees was not properly bounded. Specifically, cache_key_decode() takes a key's logical offset from the cache device and uses it to index req_key_tree->subtrees[]. If the offset plus length exceeds the device size, this results in an out-of-bounds pointer. During replay, rb_insert() writes through this invalid pointer, causing memory corruption. The fix involves validating that the key length is non-zero and that offset plus length (calculated in 64 bits) does not exceed the device size before usage.

References

Community reviews

Loading reviews…

Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 26 Oct 2026, 09:41 UTC

Technical details

References

Community reviews

Related threats