CVE-2026-98099
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ipv6: mcast: use rcu_assign_pointer() for __rcu list updates Several places in net/ipv6/mcast.c update RCU-protected lists (np->ipv6_mc_list, idev->mc_list, idev->mc_tomb) using direct pointer assignments instead of rcu_assign_pointer(): 1. In __ipv6_dev_mc_dec(), unlinking a group from idev->mc_list did: *map = ma->next; without rcu_assign_pointer() while concurrent readers traverse idev->mc_list locklessly under rcu_read_lock(). 2. In ipv6_sock_mc_drop() and __ipv6_sock_mc_close(), unlinking a group from np->ipv6_mc_list directly assigned *lnk = mc_lst->next and np->ipv6_mc_list = mc_lst->next without rcu_assign_pointer(), racing with lockless readers in inet6_mc_check(). 3. In __ipv6_sock_mc_join(), mc_lst->next was initialized to np->ipv6_mc_list via raw assignment before publishing mc_lst. 4. In mld_del_delrec() and __ipv6_dev_mc_inc(), __rcu source pointers passed into rcu_assign_pointer() lacked explicit dereference helpers. Fix these by consistently using rcu_assign_pointer() along with mc_dereference() / sock_dereference().
Affected versions
Linux kernel versions
2.6.38
and later are affected. Fixed in
7.2.7,
7.3-rc2
and their respective stable series.
References
2 totalFrequently asked questions
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What is CVE-2026-98099?
CVE-2026-98099 is a unscored severity Linux kernel vulnerability . It affects Linux kernel versions from 2.6.38 onward and has been patched in 7.2.7 and 7.3-rc2. CVE-2026-98099 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
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Is there a patch available for CVE-2026-98099?
Yes. CVE-2026-98099 has been patched. Fixed versions include 7.2.7 and 7.3-rc2. If you are running Linux kernel 2.6.38 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.
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Is CVE-2026-98099 actively exploited?
No. CVE-2026-98099 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.