CVE-2026-98268
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: perf: Fix null pointer access in is_include_guest_event() A typical module unload occurring event when there is an active perf connection leads to freeing of the pmu pointer. The call log is something like: .. __pmu_detach_event pmu_detach_event pmu_detach_events perf_pmu_unregister .. __pmu_detach_event() sets event->pmu to null. When the perf connection finally is closed, the following stack trace is observed: Oops: general protection fault, kernel NULL pointer dereference ... RIP: 0010:_free_event+0x3e/0x370 ... Call Trace: ... perf_event_release_kernel+0x260/0x2d0 perf_release+0x12/0x20 A call to mediated_pmu_unaccount_event() inside _free_event() is the root cause of this crash. Adding a check inside is_include_guest_event() ensures we don't accidentally access a null pmu ptr. In addition to this, we will now call mediated_pmu_unaccount_event() before clearing the pmu ptr so that nr_include_guest_events counts are maintained correctly.
Affected versions
Linux kernel versions
7.0
and later are affected. Fixed in
7.2.8,
7.3-rc4
and their respective stable series.
References
2 totalFrequently asked questions
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What is CVE-2026-98268?
CVE-2026-98268 is a unscored severity Linux kernel vulnerability . It affects Linux kernel versions from 7.0 onward and has been patched in 7.2.8 and 7.3-rc4. CVE-2026-98268 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-2026-98268?
Yes. CVE-2026-98268 has been patched. Fixed versions include 7.2.8 and 7.3-rc4. If you are running Linux kernel 7.0 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.
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Is CVE-2026-98268 actively exploited?
No. CVE-2026-98268 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.