CVE-2026-98369
HighIn the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: xfrm: add missing rcu_read_lock(), skb_dst_force() and dev_hold() for xfrm_trans_reinject() syzbot reported a suspicious RCU usage warning in ip6_pkt_drop(): WARNING: suspicious RCU usage in ip6_pkt_drop include/net/addrconf.h:389 suspicious rcu_dereference_check() usage! Call Trace: __in6_dev_get_safely include/net/addrconf.h:389 [inline] ip6_pkt_drop+0x596/0x610 net/ipv6/route.c:4620 ip6_pkt_discard+0x1c/0x30 net/ipv6/route.c:4651 xfrm_trans_reinject+0x324/0x630 net/xfrm/xfrm_input.c:806 process_one_work kernel/workqueue.c:3322 [inline] process_scheduled_works+0xa8e/0x14e0 kernel/workqueue.c:3405 worker_thread+0xa47/0xfb0 kernel/workqueue.c:3486 When commit 4f4920669d21 ("xfrm: Reinject transport-mode packets through workqueue") converted xfrm_trans_reinject from a tasklet to a workqueue, the reinjection loop ceased running in softirq context. Workqueue workers run in process context where local_bh_disable() does not enter an RCU read-side critical section under CONFIG_PREEMPT_RCU. Because finish callbacks (such as ip6_rcv_finish) expect to run under an RCU read lock (performing route lookups, l3mdev lookups, and accessing RCU-protected data structures), invoking them in workqueue context without rcu_read_lock() triggers RCU lockdep warnings. Furthermore, packets queued to the workqueue via xfrm_trans_queue_net() may carry non-refcounted (noref) dst entries (e.g. from ip_route_input_noref). Additionally, on netdevice unregistration, dst_dev_put() replaces dst->dev with blackhole_netdev, so dst entries do not keep skb->dev alive while queued in the workqueue. Fix these issues by: 1. Calling skb_dst_force(skb) in xfrm_trans_queue_net() while still in the caller's RCU section to ensure dst is reference-counted before queuing. 2. Holding a reference on skb->dev via dev_hold()/dev_put() across workqueue deferral so skb->dev remains valid during finish() callback processing. 3. Acquiring rcu_read_lock() around the finish callback invocation loop in xfrm_trans_reinject().
CVSS 3.1 score
7.8
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Affected versions
Linux kernel versions
5.15.75,
5.19.17,
6.0.3,
6.1
and later are affected. Fixed in
5.15.222,
6.1.189,
6.6.158,
6.12.112,
6.18.54,
7.2.8,
7.3-rc4
and their respective stable series.
References
7 totalFrequently asked questions
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What is CVE-2026-98369?
CVE-2026-98369 is a High severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 7.8 out of 10 . It affects Linux kernel versions from 5.15.75 onward and has been patched in 5.15.222, 6.1.189, 6.6.158 and others. CVE-2026-98369 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
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What is the CVSS score for CVE-2026-98369?
CVE-2026-98369 has a CVSS score of 7.8 out of 10, rated High severity (CVSS 3.1). The vector string is
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. -
Is there a patch available for CVE-2026-98369?
Yes. CVE-2026-98369 has been patched. Fixed versions include 5.15.222, 6.1.189, 6.6.158 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 5.15.75 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.
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Is CVE-2026-98369 actively exploited?
No. CVE-2026-98369 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.