CVE-2026-98581

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: nfc: llcp: Fix list corruption / refcount desync in nfc_llcp_recv_dm() nfc_llcp_recv_dm() handles DM(NOBOUND)/DM(REJ) for a socket that is still linked on local->connecting_sockets: it looks the socket up with nfc_llcp_connecting_sock_get(), sets sk->sk_state = LLCP_CLOSED and returns, without taking the socket lock and without unlinking the socket from the connecting_sockets list. llcp_sock_release() selects the list to unlink from by sk_state: a socket in LLCP_CONNECTING is unlinked from connecting_sockets, otherwise from the sockets list. Because recv_dm left the socket physically on connecting_sockets but in the LLCP_CLOSED state, release() takes the else branch and calls nfc_llcp_sock_unlink(&local->sockets, sk). That runs sk_del_node_init() while holding sockets.lock, i.e. it removes the socket from the connecting_sockets hlist under the wrong lock. A concurrent connect() linking another socket onto connecting_sockets under connecting_sockets.lock then mutates the same hlist unserialized, which corrupts the list and desyncs the sk_add_node()/sk_del_node_init() sock_hold()/__sock_put() pairing. An unprivileged local process holding LLCP sockets, with the DM supplied by the remote peer over an established LLCP link, can drive this to leak kernel sockets without bound (the mis-decrement goes through the non-freeing __sock_put() path, so the object is never released), leading to memory exhaustion / DoS. This is the same class of bug that was fixed in the sibling handler nfc_llcp_recv_cc() by commit b493ea2765cc ("nfc: llcp: Fix use-after-free race in nfc_llcp_recv_cc()"); recv_dm did not receive the equivalent fix. Fix it the same way: take lock_sock(), re-check that the socket is still hashed (release() may have won the race), and for the NOBOUND/REJ case unlink it from connecting_sockets before moving it to LLCP_CLOSED. The unlink drops the connecting_sockets membership reference via sk_del_node_init(), leaving the socket unhashed, so the later nfc_llcp_sock_unlink() in llcp_sock_release() becomes a no-op and no double put occurs.

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2026-10-18
Last modified 2026-10-18
Patch available
Yes

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 3.6 and later are affected. Fixed in 5.10.271, 5.15.222, 6.1.189, 6.6.158, 6.12.112, 6.18.55, 7.2.9, 7.3 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 3.6
Fixed in
✓ 5.10.271 5.10.x ✓ 5.15.222 5.15.x ✓ 6.1.189 6.1.x ✓ 6.6.158 6.6.x ✓ 6.12.112 6.12.x ✓ 6.18.55 6.18.x ✓ 7.2.9 7.2.x ✓ 7.3

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2026-98581?

    CVE-2026-98581 is a unscored severity Linux kernel vulnerability . It affects Linux kernel versions from 3.6 onward and has been patched in 5.10.271, 5.15.222, 6.1.189 and others. CVE-2026-98581 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • Is there a patch available for CVE-2026-98581?

    Yes. CVE-2026-98581 has been patched. Fixed versions include 5.10.271, 5.15.222, 6.1.189 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 3.6 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2026-98581 actively exploited?

    No. CVE-2026-98581 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.