CVE-2026-98388
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: exec: do_close_on_exec() before taking exec_update_lock do_close_on_exec() currently happens while holding the exec_update_lock, which is used in a lot of places that access process state to synchronize access checks. I recently added another such use of exec_update_lock, causing a regression. do_close_on_exec() can block waiting for a reply from a filesystem. That means a hung filesystem can block codepaths that use exec_update_lock; and it also means that a FUSE filesystem which attempts to inspect the calling process can deadlock. To avoid such problems, move do_close_on_exec() before the exec_update_lock is taken, but after the FD table has been copied if necessary. I have looked through all the calls between the old and new position of the do_close_on_exec() call; there seems to be no file descriptor table access in between.
Affected versions
Linux kernel versions
5.10.261,
5.15.212,
6.1.178,
6.6.145,
6.12.97,
6.18.40,
7.1.4,
7.2
and later are affected. Fixed in
5.10.271,
5.15.222,
6.1.189,
6.6.158,
6.12.111,
6.18.53,
7.2.7,
7.3-rc3
and their respective stable series.
References
8 totalFrequently asked questions
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What is CVE-2026-98388?
CVE-2026-98388 is a unscored severity Linux kernel vulnerability . It affects Linux kernel versions from 5.10.261 onward and has been patched in 5.10.271, 5.15.222, 6.1.189 and others. CVE-2026-98388 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-2026-98388?
Yes. CVE-2026-98388 has been patched. Fixed versions include 5.10.271, 5.15.222, 6.1.189 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 5.10.261 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.
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Is CVE-2026-98388 actively exploited?
No. CVE-2026-98388 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.