In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: of/overlay: don't leak fragment references when changeset init fails… (CVE-2026-98831)

The vulnerability in the Linux kernel involves the overlay filesystem's changeset initialization function (init_overlay_changeset()). When initialization fails partway due to failures in find_target() or symbol lookups, fragment references acquired up to that point are not released because the cleanup function free_overlay_changeset() relies on a count of fully initialized fragments, which remains zero on failure. The fix involves storing the running count of initialized fragments even on error paths, allowing proper cleanup of all allocated references and preventing leaks.

The vulnerability causes resource leaks in the kernel overlay filesystem when changeset initialization fails. While this does not directly lead to code execution or privilege escalation, leaking kernel references can degrade system stability or lead to resource exhaustion over time.

A fix for this vulnerability has been implemented in the Linux kernel. Users should update to the fixed kernel version once available. Patch status is not explicitly confirmed in the provided data; therefore, check the official Linux kernel advisories for the exact fixed versions and apply updates accordingly.