CVE-2026-98866
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: sched/cache: Introduce task_struct->sched_cache_grp to fix UAF Add a sched_cache_grp pointer to task_struct so that scheduler code can access the cache group directly via the task, without going through mm->sched_cache_grp. This decouples the scheduler's hot-path accesses from the mm_struct. Each task holds its own refcount on the sched_cache_group, separate from the reference held by its mm_struct. The reference is acquired in copy_mm() (fork) and exec_mmap() (exec), and released in exit_mm(). This fixes the use-after-free when account_mm_sched() reaches the group through a task whose mm is being switched, as reported by Hyunwoo: https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/apPb-Dr4nPYuHQOK@v4bel/ Convert all scheduler code in fair.c and exit.c to use p->sched_cache_grp instead of p->mm->sched_cache_grp. Keep the fork/exec/exit reference management out of the generic mm paths: add sched_cache_fork(), sched_cache_fork_cleanup(), sched_cache_exec_mmap() and sched_cache_exit_mm() in kernel/sched/cache_sched.c (with empty stubs for !CONFIG_SCHED_CACHE), so fs/exec.c, kernel/fork.c and kernel/exit.c each call one helper instead of open-coding the refcounting under #ifdef. Also add sched_cache_group_get() and task_cache_group_get().
Affected versions
Linux kernel versions
7.2
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-2026-98866?
CVE-2026-98866 is a unscored severity Linux kernel vulnerability . It affects Linux kernel versions from 7.2 onward and has been patched in 7.2.10 and 7.3. CVE-2026-98866 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-2026-98866?
Yes. CVE-2026-98866 has been patched. Fixed versions include 7.2.10 and 7.3. If you are running Linux kernel 7.2 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.
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Is CVE-2026-98866 actively exploited?
No. CVE-2026-98866 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.