CVE-2026-97616

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/sched: act_api: release all action references on NEWACTION failure When a batched RTM_NEWACTION request replaces an existing action, tcf_idr_check_alloc() takes a temporary reference on it. If a later action fails to initialize, tcf_action_destroy() uses strict release semantics to clean up the actions initialized so far. For an action bound to a filter, the strict check returns -EPERM without dropping the temporary reference. This error also makes tcf_action_destroy() return before releasing subsequent entries. Any new action initialized between the bound action and the failing entry is leaked together with its reserved IDR slot, preventing reuse of its index. Use tcf_idr_release() to drop each reference held by the batch without rejecting bound actions. This allows cleanup to continue through all initialized entries and preserves the module reference release when an action is destroyed. Explicit action deletion and flushing retain their separate bind-count checks.

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2026-09-25
Last modified 2026-09-25
Patch available
Yes

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 3.15 and later are affected. Fixed in 6.12.111, 6.18.53, 7.2.7, 7.3-rc3 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 3.15
Fixed in
✓ 6.12.111 6.12.x ✓ 6.18.53 6.18.x ✓ 7.2.7 7.2.x ✓ 7.3-rc3

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2026-97616?

    CVE-2026-97616 is a unscored severity Linux kernel vulnerability . It affects Linux kernel versions from 3.15 onward and has been patched in 6.12.111, 6.18.53, 7.2.7 and others. CVE-2026-97616 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • Is there a patch available for CVE-2026-97616?

    Yes. CVE-2026-97616 has been patched. Fixed versions include 6.12.111, 6.18.53, 7.2.7 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 3.15 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2026-97616 actively exploited?

    No. CVE-2026-97616 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.