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VulnerabilityPublished Updated

CVE-2026-98975: Linux kernel · xfs: stop exchanging reflink flags when exchanging mappings

Affects Linux kernelSource GCVE Database

0
Authoritative record:CVE-2026-98975· High 7.8

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.8 High.

Data as of 28 Oct 2026, 01:59 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score
7.8High
How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Exploitation evidence

  1. Disclosed: evidence found.

    CVE published 23 Oct 2026

  2. Detectable: no evidence on record.

    No public nuclei template indexed

  3. Weaponised: no evidence on record.

    No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB

  4. Exploited in the wild: no evidence on record.

    Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation

  5. Observed by OffSeq 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

ProductAffectedFixed in
Ubuntu 26.10linuxpkg:deb/ubuntu/linux?arch=source&distro=stonkingOther threatsAffected
  • 7.0.0-14.14 – 7.3.0-9.9
6 affected builds
Fixed in–
Ubuntu 26.10linux-awspkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-aws?arch=source&distro=stonkingOther threatsAffected
  • 7.0.0-1004.4 – 7.3.0-1003.3
5 affected builds
Fixed in–
Ubuntu 26.10linux-azurepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure?arch=source&distro=stonkingOther threatsAffected
  • 7.0.0-1004.4 – 7.3.0-1003.3
5 affected builds
Fixed in–
Ubuntu 26.10linux-azure-fdepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure-fde?arch=source&distro=stonkingOther threatsAffected
  • =7.0.0-1004.4
  • =7.3.0-1002.3
  • =7.3.0-1003.4
Fixed in–
Ubuntu 26.10linux-gcppkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-gcp?arch=source&distro=stonkingOther threatsAffected
  • 7.0.0-1003.3 – 7.3.0-1003.3
5 affected builds
Fixed in–
Ubuntu 26.10linux-oraclepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-oracle?arch=source&distro=stonkingOther threatsAffected
  • 7.0.0-1003.3 – 7.3.0-1003.3
5 affected builds
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 is available and has been applied in the Linux kernel. The patch stops exchanging reflink flags during extent exchanges and ensures both inodes maintain the reflink flag correctly. Users should update to a fixed kernel version that includes this patch to prevent data corruption. No additional mitigation steps are indicated beyond applying the official fix.

Description

CVE-2026-98975 is a vulnerability in the Linux kernel's XFS filesystem related to improper handling of reflink flags during extent exchanges between files. The flaw occurs when exchanging mappings that cover both files from offset 0 to the disk size, causing incorrect assumptions about shared blocks beyond the file size. This can lead to in-place writes instead of copy-on-write (CoW), resulting in corruption of shared data. The issue affects the XFS_IOC_SWAPEXT operation similarly, where reflink flags were improperly moved between inodes. The fix involves stopping the exchange of reflink flags and ensuring both inodes maintain the flag correctly. The vulnerability has a CVSS score of 7.8 (high severity).

References

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