CVE-2026-98723

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: nvmet: copy the hostid into the ctrl before creating PR pc_refs Commit 6202783184bf ("nvmet: Improve nvmet_alloc_ctrl() interface and implementation") added a second uuid_copy() of args->hostid near the end of nvmet_alloc_ctrl(), and commit 7b658153f1b8 ("nvmet: Remove duplicate uuid_copy") removed the original copy that sat before nvmet_ctrl_init_pr() instead of the new one. Since then nvmet_ctrl_init_pr() snapshots ctrl->hostid into the per-controller per-namespace reservation refs while the uuid_copy() from the connect data runs later, after the controller is published. The ctrl is allocated with kzalloc(), so every pc_ref created on this path stores the nil UUID. pc_ref->hostid has a single consumer: nvmet_pr_set_ctrl_to_abort() matches it against the preempted registrant's hostid to kill and drain the victim's in-flight I/O for Preempt and Abort. The match can never hit with the nil UUID, so whenever a namespace with reservations enabled exists before a host connects, which includes every reconnect, Preempt and Abort silently degrades into a plain Preempt: the preempting host sees success while the victim's in-flight I/O is still in the air. Copy the hostid where the rest of the connect data is consumed, before the controller is published and before nvmet_ctrl_init_pr() takes its snapshot.

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

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 6.15 and later are affected. Fixed in 6.18.56, 7.2.10, 7.3 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 6.15
Fixed in
✓ 6.18.56 6.18.x ✓ 7.2.10 7.2.x ✓ 7.3

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2026-98723?

    CVE-2026-98723 is a unscored severity Linux kernel vulnerability . It affects Linux kernel versions from 6.15 onward and has been patched in 6.18.56, 7.2.10 and 7.3. CVE-2026-98723 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • Is there a patch available for CVE-2026-98723?

    Yes. CVE-2026-98723 has been patched. Fixed versions include 6.18.56, 7.2.10 and 7.3. If you are running Linux kernel 6.15 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2026-98723 actively exploited?

    No. CVE-2026-98723 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.