CVE-2026-98775

What the bug is

When ne_create_vm_ioctl() fails the SLOT_ALLOC request after anon_inode_getfile() has succeeded, the error path calls fput(enclave_file) and then frees ne_enclave. In normal userspace context, fput() defers the final __fput() via task_work. ne_enclave_release() therefore runs after ne_enclave has already been freed and dereferences ne_enclave->slot_uid, causing a use-after-free: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in ne_enclave_release. The enclave has no slot allocated and is not yet linked into the enclaves list on this error path, so ne_enclave_release() is expected to return early when slot_uid is zero. However, reading slot_uid already accesses the freed object. Clear enclave_file->private_data before fput() on the error path. ne_enclave_release() then returns immediately when private_data is NULL, leaving the ioctl error path as the sole owner of ne_enclave. This is safe because the file has not been fd_install()'d yet. Tested on an AWS EC2 m5.2xlarge with CONFIG_KASAN=y. Without the patch, the reproducer triggers a KASAN slab-use-after-free on every SLOT_ALLOC failure. With the patch, no KASAN report is produced and the SLOT_ALLOC error is still returned. Normal enclave creation and teardown are unaffected.

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.

drivers/virt/nitro_enclaves/ne_misc_dev.c

What this is

NITRO ENCLAVES (NE)MAINTAINERS section matched on drivers/virt/nitro_enclaves/ · linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org · Supported

Kernel module

nitro_enclaves

Check it on the machine

grep -wE 'CONFIG_NITRO_ENCLAVES|CONFIG_VIRT_DRIVERS' /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.

lsmod | grep -w nitro_enclaves

Prints a line if that module is loaded right now, and nothing if it is not. One that is not loaded can still be loaded later by anything that needs it.

Show whether Debian builds this, per release

Debian does not build this code in 1 release. It does build it in 3 releases, so the answer depends on which release the machine runs.

• bookwormn
• trixieMnot built on armel/rpi, armhf/armmp, armhf/armmp-lpae, armhf/rt/armmp, ppc64el/powerpc64le, ppc64el/powerpc64le-64k, riscv64/riscv64, s390x/s390x
• forky, sidMnot built on armhf/armmp, armhf/armmp-lpae, loong64/loong64, ppc64el/powerpc64le, ppc64el/powerpc64le-64k, riscv64/riscv64, s390x/s390x

n

not enabled on any flavour - this release does not build the code

M

a module where it is built at all; some flavours do not build it

Build switches

CONFIG_NITRO_ENCLAVES, CONFIG_VIRT_DRIVERS

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

2026-10-18 (today)source

CVSS

no vector published, unrated

Attack vector

not published

EPSS

not scored

CISA KEV

not listedthe KEV catalogue

Debian urgency

not yet assignedsource

Subsystem

drivers/virt

Upstream fixes

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

Introduced	Fixed in	Commit
5.10	6.12.113	466041d14f26
5.10	6.18.56	f7fb6c2835ed
5.10	7.2.10	43f78b328f39
5.10	7.3	9bc184a2eda8