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NVD / CVE Program· CNA Linux

CVE-2026-98160: staging: rtl8723bs: fix mismatched free of HalData in rtw_sdio_if1_init()

Noroxi assessment

Priority: Monitor (action score 22/100)

  • The sources we track (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei, GitHub) show no public exploit code or exploitation in the wild.
  • Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 0.11% (FIRST EPSS).
  • Someone with local access to the system can trigger it. A low-privileged account is enough. No user action is required. No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
  • Fixed version: Linux Linux 264676418b726baca7be49171e306b6aa05cceb0, 423574feaed192063ef0cd0813fb85425f39e539, 4520d673d49dabfd42c008a33889251025f7d6d5; azl3 kernel 6.6.150.1-1 on Azure Linux 3.0 6.6.157.1-1.
  • Mentioned 1 time in Turkish national cyber security advisories (siberguvenlik.gov.tr).

Low priority for now. Upgrade to Linux Linux 264676418b726baca7be49171e306b6aa05cceb0, 423574feaed192063ef0cd0813fb85425f39e539, 4520d673d49dabfd42c008a33889251025f7d6d5; azl3 kernel 6.6.150.1-1 on Azure Linux 3.0 6.6.157.1-1 or later.

Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it

Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: staging: rtl8723bs: fix mismatched free of HalData in rtw_sdio_if1_init() padapter->HalData is allocated via vzalloc(), but incorrectly freed using kfree() in the rtw_sdio_if1_init() error path. Using kfree() to release this vmalloc-backed buffer can lead to memory corruption. Use rtw_hal_data_deinit() to pair the free correctly and free HalData with vfree(). The bug was first flagged by an experimental static analysis tool we are developing for kernel memory-management bugs. Manual inspection confirms that the issue is still present in current mainline. An x86_64 allyesconfig build showed no new warnings. As we do not have suitable RTL8723BS SDIO hardware to test with, no runtime testing was able to be performed.

MediumCVSS 5.5 · v3.1—No exploit Fix available
Published
Sep 25, 2026
Updated
Oct 19, 2026
EPSS
0.1% · 1th percentile

Report tools

JSON

Action score

22

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS
22 / 40 · 5.5 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
0 / 30 · 0.1%

Get told when this record changes

  • Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
  • No public exploit code on record
  • A fix has been released

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When you'll hear from us

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  • when exploit code appears or is weaponized
  • when the record is updated (including a fixed version)
  • when EPSS rises 20 points in a week

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Noroxi analysis

What does it mean in your environment?

The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.

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Affected systems

Is your version affected?

Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.

VendorProduct
linuxlinux kernel

Affected versions

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

  • linux linux kernel4.12 and later · before 5.10.270
  • linux linux kernel5.11 and later · before 5.15.221
  • linux linux kernel5.16 and later · before 6.1.188
  • linux linux kernel6.2 and later · before 6.6.157
  • linux linux kernel6.7 and later · before 6.12.110
  • linux linux kernel6.13 and later · before 6.18.52
  • linux linux kernel6.19 and later · before 7.2.6

Versions reported by the vendor

Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (Linux). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.

  • Linux Linux

    • 4.12affected
    • 554c0a3abf216c991c5ebddcdb2c08689ecd290b and later · before ff6d1ba247b5c62bdb678f1069abc86ad88a1402affected · git
    • 554c0a3abf216c991c5ebddcdb2c08689ecd290b and later · before d6158333d630a1b21d8914feaf77a6f5deb185d9affected · git
    • 554c0a3abf216c991c5ebddcdb2c08689ecd290b and later · before 6c017ab2b0e1b60b5be94636c94720347213d78baffected · git
    • 554c0a3abf216c991c5ebddcdb2c08689ecd290b and later · before 4520d673d49dabfd42c008a33889251025f7d6d5affected · git
    • 554c0a3abf216c991c5ebddcdb2c08689ecd290b and later · before 423574feaed192063ef0cd0813fb85425f39e539affected · git
    • 554c0a3abf216c991c5ebddcdb2c08689ecd290b and later · before 737c928ff5092d7e55128a232c231248fc993777affected · git
    • 554c0a3abf216c991c5ebddcdb2c08689ecd290b and later · before 911190f0b9511c3c81f2f2484414c1ae26f636b3affected · git
    • 554c0a3abf216c991c5ebddcdb2c08689ecd290b and later · before 264676418b726baca7be49171e306b6aa05cceb0affected · git
    • before 4.12not affected · semver

Package-level exposure

OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
Debian:12linuxbefore 6.1.190-16.1.190-1
Debian:12linux-6.12before 6.12.111-1~deb12u16.12.111-1~deb12u1
Debian:13linuxbefore 6.12.111-16.12.111-1
Debian:14linuxbefore 7.2.6-17.2.6-1

Same product

linux: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2026-31431crypto: algif_aead - Revert to operating out-of-placeKEV
    90Now
  • CVE-2022-0847A flaw was found in the way the "flags" member of the new pipe buffer structure was lacking proper initialization in copy_page_to_iter_pipe KEV
    89Now
  • CVE-2021-22555Heap Out-Of-Bounds Write in Netfilter IP6T_SO_SET_REPLACEKEV
    85Now

Published before and after this one in the same product

  • ← EarlierCVE-2026-100078Sep 25, 2026 · wifi: iwlwifi: mei: pass correct argument to function
    22Monitor
  • ← EarlierCVE-2026-100079Sep 25, 2026 · usb: typec: ucsi: unregister debugfs entries on teardown
    22Monitor
  • Later →CVE-2026-98161Sep 25, 2026 · nvdimm: pmem: keep PREFLUSH before data writes
    22Monitor

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

Product / packageFixed versionSource
Linux Linux264676418b726baca7be49171e306b6aa05cceb0Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux423574feaed192063ef0cd0813fb85425f39e539Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux4520d673d49dabfd42c008a33889251025f7d6d5Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux6c017ab2b0e1b60b5be94636c94720347213d78bVendor (CNA)
Linux Linux737c928ff5092d7e55128a232c231248fc993777Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux911190f0b9511c3c81f2f2484414c1ae26f636b3Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linuxd6158333d630a1b21d8914feaf77a6f5deb185d9Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linuxff6d1ba247b5c62bdb678f1069abc86ad88a1402Vendor (CNA)
azl3 kernel 6.6.150.1-1 on Azure Linux 3.06.6.157.1-1 · Release NotesMicrosoft (MSRC)
debian:linux6.1.190-1 · Debian:12Package registry (OSV)
debian:linux6.12.111-1 · Debian:13Package registry (OSV)
debian:linux-6.126.12.111-1~deb12u1 · Debian:12Package registry (OSV)

Exploit status

No known public exploit

No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.

Research context

For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.

Timeline

From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.

No dated events beyond publication.

EPSS, last 120 days

FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).

Patch and commit links

Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.

No commit or PR link among the references.

Credits

All researchers

Finders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.

No credits in the CNA record.

Variant candidates

Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.

  • CVE-2026-6380968 days apartbpf: use kvfree() for replaced sysctl write buffer
    31Monitor
  • CVE-2026-5300093 days apartnetfilter: nat: use kfree_rcu to release ops
    31Monitor
  • CVE-2026-6398668 days apartethtool: tsinfo: don't pass ERR_PTR to genlmsg_cancel on prepare failure
    22Monitor

Chain candidates

An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.

—

Bug bounty scope

No known public program.

Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).

National notice (Türkiye Cybersecurity Directorate / USOM)

Official security notices citing this record; remediation advice is on the agency's page.

All national notices →

Technical details

Attack conditions

  • Someone with local access to the system can trigger it.
  • A low-privileged account is enough.
  • No user action is required.
  • No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.

If successful

Confidentiality
none
Integrity
none
Availability
high · the service can be disrupted
Attack vector
Local
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality impact
None
Integrity impact
None
Availability impact
High

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-763 · Release of Invalid Pointer or Reference

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

nvd-primary

Attack context

MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.

MITRE has no CAPEC/ATT&CK mapping for this CWE.

Change log

  1. CVSS— → 5.5
  2. Severity— → medium
  3. Fix✗ → ✓

For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →

References

Show all references (7 more)

Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.

All records