data built 2026-10-19T13:16:53Z

Look up another CVE · open CVE-2026-98378 in the interactive tracker

CVE-2026-98378

bpf: Skip unsettled links in link iterator

EPSS 0.2%

Published 2026-10-09 (10 days ago) by the Linux kernel CNA. Subsystem kernel/bpf. Debian urgency: not yet assigned.

What to do, per Debian release

Debian's own status for CVE-2026-98378 in every release this site tracks, and what each one means in practice. Every status below is the one the Debian Security Team publishes for this CVE. source

ReleaseStatus VersionWhat this means
Debian 12bookwormfixedDLA-4841-1 · 2026-10-17 · text6.1.190-1Update the kernel and reboot. DLA-4841-1 shipped the fix on 2026-10-17, in 6.1.190-1. A running kernel keeps the old code until the machine restarts.
Debian 13trixiefixedDSA-6568-1 · 2026-10-16 · text6.12.113-1Update the kernel and reboot. DSA-6568-1 shipped the fix on 2026-10-16, in 6.12.113-1. A running kernel keeps the old code until the machine restarts.
Debian 14forkyfixed7.2.9-1Update the kernel and reboot. Fixed in 7.2.9-1. A running kernel keeps the old code until the machine restarts.
Debian unstablesidfixed7.2.9-1Update the kernel and reboot. Fixed in 7.2.9-1. A running kernel keeps the old code until the machine restarts.

The vulnerability

What the bug is

bpf_link_prime() inserts a link into link_idr before anon_inode_getfile() succeeds and before bpf_link_settle() publishes the ID in link->id. bpf_link_by_id() treats such an ID-zero link as unsettled, but the link iterator takes a reference without this check. If anon_inode_getfile() then fails, the creator removes the ID and frees its still-private link directly. The iterator is left with a dangling reference and its next bpf_link_put() accesses freed memory. Treat ID-zero entries as transient in bpf_link_get_curr_or_next(), just as bpf_link_by_id() does. BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in bpf_link_put Write of size 8 by task exp/384 Call Trace: bpf_link_put kernel/bpf/syscall.c:3372 bpf_link_seq_next kernel/bpf/link_iter.c:33 bpf_seq_read kernel/bpf/bpf_iter.c:158 vfs_read fs/read_write.c:572 ksys_read fs/read_write.c:716 do_syscall_64 arch/x86/entry/syscall_64.c:84 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe arch/x86/entry/entry_64.S:121 Kernel panic - not syncing: KASAN: panic_on_warn set ...

Where it lives

The fix touches these files. If the subsystem is one you do not use, the practical exposure is lower, though the package is still the vulnerable one.

kernel/bpf/syscall.c

What this is
BPF [CORE]MAINTAINERS section matched on kernel/bpf/syscall.c · bpf@vger.kernel.org · Maintained

Check it on the machine

grep -wE 'CONFIG_BPF|CONFIG_BPF_SYSCALL' /boot/config-$(uname -r)

Reads the booted kernel's own configuration, on the machine and nowhere else. =y is built in, =m is a module, and an is not set line means the code is not there.

Show whether Debian builds this, per release

Debian builds this code. Every release below compiles the affected file into the kernels it ships.

  • bookworm, trixie, forky, sidy
y
built into the kernel image on every flavour - only a patch removes it
Build switches
CONFIG_BPF, CONFIG_BPF_SYSCALL
Reads as
all on means the file is compiled; any one off means it is not.

From the configuration Debian publishes for every kernel flavour it builds. It covers only the architectures Debian ships a linux-config package for, and nothing about a kernel you built yourself. Debian's own status above stays authoritative about the source package.MAINTAINERS kbuild Makefiles Debian linux-config packages

Signals

Published
2026-10-09 (10 days ago)source
CVSS
no vector published, unrated
Attack vector
not published
EPSS
0.16%, higher than 4.8% of all CVEssource
CISA KEV
not listedthe KEV catalogue
Debian urgency
not yet assignedsource
Subsystem
kernel/bpf

Upstream fixes

The versions the CNA records as introducing and fixing this, and the commit for each. source

IntroducedFixed inCommit
5.196.1.18968930f8d40ab
5.196.6.158c251ed48bd90
5.196.12.112798a61edbc43
5.196.18.556e271f093d15
5.197.2.987ce4b53b743
5.197.350e80e2bb5e2

Debian advisories

AdvisoryDateShipped toDebian
DLA-4841-12026-10-17bookworm 6.1.190-1tracker
DSA-6568-12026-10-16trixie 6.12.113-1tracker

Why the CNA scored it this way

The kernel CNA published no CVSS vector and no reasoning for CVE-2026-98378, which is why it is shown as unrated rather than given an invented score. 6,405 of the 20,413 CVEs here carry reasoning; this is not one of them.