CVE-2026-98789
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: bpf: Fix objects stuck in free_by_rcu_ttrace do_call_rcu_ttrace() returns early when call_rcu_ttrace_in_progress is set and leaves the objects in free_by_rcu_ttrace. __free_rcu() frees waiting_for_gp_ttrace only and clears the flag. Hence the objects that free_bulk() or __free_by_rcu() added while RCU tasks trace GP was in flight stay in free_by_rcu_ttrace until free_bulk() or alloc_bulk() is called for the same bpf_mem_cache again, which may never happen. The number of such objects is not bounded. Turn call_rcu_ttrace_in_progress into three states: 0 - idle 1 - __free_rcu() is queued 2 - __free_rcu() is queued and free_by_rcu_ttrace got more objects since do_call_rcu_ttrace() sets 2. __free_rcu() does cmpxchg(1 -> 0) and starts the next GP when it fails. It cannot clear the flag first and check free_by_rcu_ttrace later, since bpf_mem_alloc_destroy() frees bpf_mem_cache without waiting for RCU callbacks when the flag is zero. Now __free_rcu() queues itself, so the one that didn't see 'draining' may do call_rcu_tasks_trace() after rcu_barrier_tasks_trace() in free_mem_alloc(). Queue it under rcu_read_lock() and do synchronize_rcu() before the barriers. Calling rcu_barrier_tasks_trace() twice works too, but creating and destroying hash maps in a loop on many cpus slows down to one free_mem_alloc() per GP and kworkers pile up.
Affected versions
Linux kernel versions
6.1
and later are affected. Fixed in
7.2.10,
7.3
and their respective stable series.
References
2 totalFrequently asked questions
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What is CVE-2026-98789?
CVE-2026-98789 is a unscored severity Linux kernel vulnerability . It affects Linux kernel versions from 6.1 onward and has been patched in 7.2.10 and 7.3. CVE-2026-98789 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-2026-98789?
Yes. CVE-2026-98789 has been patched. Fixed versions include 7.2.10 and 7.3. If you are running Linux kernel 6.1 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.
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Is CVE-2026-98789 actively exploited?
No. CVE-2026-98789 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.