CVE-2026-98688
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: thunderbolt: Fix NULL dereference in tb_remove_work() There is a slight race between tb_remove_work() and tb_domain_remove() which leads to dereferencing a NULL tb->root_switch pointer inside tb_free_unplugged_xdomains(): Thread A Thread B tb_remove_work() tb_domain_remove() mutex_lock(&tb->lock) tb_stop() /* doesn't cancel a running callback */ cancel_delayed_work(&tcm->remove_work) ... tb_switch_remove(tb->root_switch) tb->root_switch = NULL mutex_unlock(&tb->lock) mutex_lock(&tb->lock) ... /* without checking ->root_switch */ tb_free_unplugged_xdomains(tb->root_switch) mutex_unlock(&tb->lock) Commit a8937f35cf39 ("thunderbolt: Remove XDomain from the bus without holding tb->lock") doesn't seem right to move tb_free_unplugged_xdomains() out of the &tb->lock section and the check for tb->root_switch, in particular. It states: For this reason separate removing the XDomain from the topology data structures (where we need the lock) from unregistering the device from the bus (where remove callbacks of the drivers are being called). tb_free_unplugged_xdomains() belongs to the former group of functions requiring the lock. And it also calls tb_xdomain_remove() which should only be called with &tb->lock held. Found by Linux Verification Center (linuxtesting.org) with Svace static analysis tool.
Affected versions
Linux kernel versions
5.10.266,
5.15.217,
7.2
and later are affected. Fixed in
7.2.10,
7.3
and their respective stable series.
References
2 totalFrequently asked questions
-
What is CVE-2026-98688?
CVE-2026-98688 is a unscored severity Linux kernel vulnerability . It affects Linux kernel versions from 5.10.266 onward and has been patched in 7.2.10 and 7.3. CVE-2026-98688 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
-
Is there a patch available for CVE-2026-98688?
Yes. CVE-2026-98688 has been patched. Fixed versions include 7.2.10 and 7.3. If you are running Linux kernel 5.10.266 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.
-
Is CVE-2026-98688 actively exploited?
No. CVE-2026-98688 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.