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CVE.org (no NVD analysis yet)· CNA Linux

CVE-2026-98230: xfrm: use hlist_del_init_rcu for state_cache and state_cache_input

Noroxi assessment

Priority: Monitor (action score 28/100)

  • 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. Special conditions such as timing or configuration are required.
  • Fixed version: Linux Linux 2afb8dc1f4390f164db8352f8e685e126e9db566, 4748c27e2e6a1969e02f1df46e62f79d2799b80b, 6.12.112.

Low priority for now. Upgrade to Linux Linux 2afb8dc1f4390f164db8352f8e685e126e9db566, 4748c27e2e6a1969e02f1df46e62f79d2799b80b, 6.12.112 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: xfrm: use hlist_del_init_rcu for state_cache and state_cache_input Commit 14acf9652e56 ("xfrm: defensively unhash xfrm_state lists in __xfrm_state_delete") converted bydst/bysrc/byseq/byspi from hlist_del_rcu() to hlist_del_init_rcu() so that a second __xfrm_state_delete() on the same object becomes a no-op rather than a write through LIST_POISON pprev. It missed state_cache and state_cache_input, which kept hlist_del_rcu(): - hlist_del_rcu() leaves pprev = LIST_POISON2 (non-NULL), so hlist_unhashed() returns false. - hlist_del_init_rcu() leaves pprev = NULL, so hlist_unhashed() returns true. A second __xfrm_state_delete() therefore enters __hlist_del() on the already-deleted state_cache/state_cache_input nodes and does WRITE_ONCE(*pprev, next) through LIST_POISON2 — a write use-after-free once the slab is reused. The corruption can in turn cause a subsequent hlist_for_each_entry_rcu traversal to follow a dangling next pointer, producing the read use-after-free reported in xfrm_input_state_lookup(). Switch state_cache and state_cache_input to hlist_del_init_rcu() to match the other four lists, closing the write use-after-free and, with it, the read use-after-free it spawns.

HighCVSS 7.0 · v3.1—No exploit Fix available
Published
Oct 6, 2026
Updated
Oct 19, 2026
EPSS
0.1% · 1th percentile
CWE
—

Report tools

JSON

Action score

28

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS
28 / 40 · 7.0 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
0 / 30 · 0.1%

CNA vs NVD score

NVD
—
CNA · Linux
7.0
NVD has not scored this yet; the score shown is the CNA’s.

The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.

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Noroxi analysis

What does it mean in your environment?

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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.

—

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

    • 5e4334dc39443645415450163ff5ff1ee7e79784, 6.13affected
    • aa48a18fdb0911572d133057cd579db704b87da4 and later · before fb38fb7420d5f7192f9e2b6ac835ede149cd7ac5affected · git
    • 0045e3d80613cc7174dc15f189ee6fc4e73b9365 and later · before 4748c27e2e6a1969e02f1df46e62f79d2799b80baffected · git
    • 0045e3d80613cc7174dc15f189ee6fc4e73b9365 and later · before 9b74a47a4cbd0d29faff4f3b199212c73e6b6220affected · git
    • 0045e3d80613cc7174dc15f189ee6fc4e73b9365 and later · before 2afb8dc1f4390f164db8352f8e685e126e9db566affected · git
    • 6.12.13 and later · before 6.12.112affected · semver
    • before 6.13not affected · semver
    • 6.12.112 and later · up to and including 6.12.*not affected · semver
    • 6.18.54 and later · up to and including 6.18.*not affected · semver
    • 7.2.8 and later · up to and including 7.2.*not affected · semver

Package-level exposure

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

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
Debian:12linux-6.12before 6.12.113-1~deb12u16.12.113-1~deb12u1
Debian:13linuxbefore 6.12.113-16.12.113-1
Debian:14linuxbefore 7.2.8-17.2.8-1

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2026-74705udp: fix potential use-after-free in tunnel segmentation
    40Plan
  • CVE-2026-74612veth: fix skb length accounting after XDP frag adjustment
    40Plan
  • CVE-2026-74475vxlan: use neigh_ha_snapshot() in route_shortcircuit()
    40Plan

Published before and after this one in the same product

  • ← EarlierCVE-2026-98228Oct 6, 2026 · mips: select CONFIG_WEAK_REORDERING_BEYOND_LLSC from CONFIG_EYEQ
    31Monitor
  • ← EarlierCVE-2026-98229Oct 6, 2026 · xfrm: save input state data before secpath resets
    31Monitor
  • Later →CVE-2026-98231Oct 6, 2026 · xfrm: serialize state GC with device state flush
    0Monitor

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 Linux2afb8dc1f4390f164db8352f8e685e126e9db566Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux4748c27e2e6a1969e02f1df46e62f79d2799b80bVendor (CNA)
Linux Linux6.12.112Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux9b74a47a4cbd0d29faff4f3b199212c73e6b6220Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linuxfb38fb7420d5f7192f9e2b6ac835ede149cd7ac5Vendor (CNA)
debian:linux6.12.113-1 · Debian:13Package registry (OSV)
debian:linux7.2.8-1 · Debian:14Package registry (OSV)
debian:linux-6.126.12.113-1~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.

  1. Published
  2. Fix recordedsame day
  3. TodayNov 9, 2026+34 d
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.

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.

No nightly-computed relations.

Chain candidates

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

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Bug bounty scope

No known public program.

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

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.
  • Special conditions such as timing or configuration are required.

If successful

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

Weakness class (CWE)

—

CVSS vector

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

nvd-secondary

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— → 7
  2. Severity— → high
  3. Exploit maturity— → none
  4. Fix✗ → ✓

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

References

All records