CVE-2026-98953: Linux kernel · devlink: fix devlink_rel reference leak when notify work is pending
Affects Linux kernelSource GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited.
Data as of 28 Oct 2026, 02:13 UTC
Rated by Threat Radar · CVSS not yet scored by NVD
Exploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 23 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.
What to do
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
Ubuntu 26.10linuxpkg:deb/ubuntu/linux?arch=source&distro=stonkingOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.10linux-awspkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-aws?arch=source&distro=stonkingOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.10linux-azurepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure?arch=source&distro=stonkingOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.10linux-azure-fdepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure-fde?arch=source&distro=stonkingOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.10linux-gcppkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-gcp?arch=source&distro=stonkingOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.10linux-oraclepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-oracle?arch=source&distro=stonkingOther threats | Affected
| 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 for this vulnerability has been implemented in the Linux kernel to properly drop leaked references when notify work is pending. Users should apply the updated kernel versions that include this fix. Since this is a kernel-level issue, upgrading to a patched kernel release is the recommended remediation. No additional mitigation steps are indicated.
Description
CVE-2026-98953 is a vulnerability in the Linux kernel's devlink component involving a reference leak of devlink_rel objects when notify work is pending. The issue arises because the code queues work without checking if it is already pending, causing references to be leaked when the work runs only once but multiple references were taken. This leak can be triggered by repeatedly registering and unregistering nested devlink instances while holding the parent lock, resulting in multiple devlink_rel objects being leaked.
References
- ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2026-98953 (opens in a new tab)
- cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-98953 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/8c7830e0120e6e1f5084212fd5b79b3092496f87 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/8de57bfec3825effb57fe4d25da98ec3b8fda4c6 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/c5381ae1cd1481cc431c2bd79460472c6f1d3ce3 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/dc2e787b5fb474241c8a6d18fdacb44adc6d571f (opens in a new tab)