CVE-2026-98398
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: locking/lockdep: Invalidate stale class_cache entries for zapped classes syzbot reported a lockdep splat hitting DEBUG_LOCKS_WARN_ON(1) in hlock_class() due to an invalid class_idx: WARNING: kernel/locking/lockdep.c:238 at __lock_acquire+0x382/0x2cf0 kernel/locking/lockdep.c:5203 Workqueue: wg-crypt-wg0 wg_packet_tx_worker RIP: 0010:hlock_class kernel/locking/lockdep.c:238 [inline] RIP: 0010:check_wait_context kernel/locking/lockdep.c:4870 [inline] RIP: 0010:__lock_acquire+0x389/0x2cf0 kernel/locking/lockdep.c:5203 Call Trace: <IRQ> lock_acquire+0x106/0x350 kernel/locking/lockdep.c:5886 _raw_spin_lock+0x2e/0x40 kernel/locking/spinlock.c:173 tcp_tsq_handler+0x29/0x200 net/ipv4/tcp_output.c:1291 tcp_tsq_workfn+0x384/0x410 net/ipv4/tcp_output.c:1325 ... When a lock class is zapped (e.g. during module unload or key unregistration), zap_class() clears the class's bit in lock_classes_in_use and removes it from the class hash table. However, existing lockdep_map instances embedded in data structures may still retain a pointer to the zapped class in their class_cache[] array. When __lock_acquire() subsequently runs on such a lock, it finds lock->class_cache[subclass] != NULL, skipping register_lock_class() and assigning hlock->class_idx to the index of the zapped class. When check_wait_context() or hlock_class() inspects the held_lock, it finds !test_bit(class_idx, lock_classes_in_use) and warns. Furthermore, if the zapped slot is subsequently re-allocated to an unrelated lock key, the stale class_cache entry would erroneously match the unrelated class (ABA issue). Add lock_class_cache_is_valid() to validate that the cached class is within lock_classes bounds, still allocated in lock_classes_in_use (using uninstrumented arch_test_bit() in __always_inline context so it is safe in noinstr contexts like match_held_lock()), and that class->key matches the expected subkey (taking lockdep_set_subclass() overrides into account). Also use READ_ONCE()/WRITE_ONCE() when accessing class_cache[]. If the entry is invalid or stale, fall back to register_lock_class() / look_up_lock_class().
Affected versions
Linux kernel versions
5.1
and later are affected. Fixed in
5.15.222,
6.1.189,
6.6.158,
6.12.111,
6.18.53,
7.2.7,
7.3-rc2
and their respective stable series.
References
7 totalFrequently asked questions
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What is CVE-2026-98398?
CVE-2026-98398 is a unscored severity Linux kernel vulnerability . It affects Linux kernel versions from 5.1 onward and has been patched in 5.15.222, 6.1.189, 6.6.158 and others. CVE-2026-98398 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-2026-98398?
Yes. CVE-2026-98398 has been patched. Fixed versions include 5.15.222, 6.1.189, 6.6.158 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 5.1 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.
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Is CVE-2026-98398 actively exploited?
No. CVE-2026-98398 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.