CVE-2026-99038
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: memstick: rtsx_usb_ms: complete requests after eject instead of dropping them memstick_check() can pass its host->removing check just before rtsx_usb_ms_drv_remove() sets eject/removing. Its next request is then silently dropped: rtsx_usb_ms_request() skips schedule_work() once eject is set, and drv_remove's cancel_work_sync() can also cancel a queued handle_req before it picks the request up. Nobody completes card->mrq_complete. Once memstick core waits for requests without a timeout ("memstick: core: wait for request completion before freeing card"), this hangs removal: memstick_check() never returns and memstick_remove_host() blocks in flush_workqueue(): INFO: task kworker/u10:3:65 blocked for more than 20 seconds. Workqueue: kmemstick memstick_check __wait_for_common memstick_check INFO: task kworker/1:1:33 blocked for more than 20 seconds. Workqueue: usb_hub_wq hub_event __flush_workqueue memstick_remove_host rtsx_usb_ms_drv_remove Never drop a request. rtsx_usb_ms_request() always schedules handle_req, and handle_req fails requests with -ENOMEDIUM once eject is set, without touching the device. drv_remove flushes handle_req instead of cancelling it, and cancels it only after memstick_remove_host(), when no new request can arrive, so it cannot run on a freed host. The host_mutex drain in drv_remove is removed: handle_req always leaves host->req NULL when it finishes, so the drain never had anything to do, and it would now race with handle_req.
Affected versions
Linux kernel versions
3.16
and later are affected. Fixed in
6.6.160,
6.12.113,
6.18.57,
7.2.11,
7.3
and their respective stable series.
References
5 totalFrequently asked questions
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What is CVE-2026-99038?
CVE-2026-99038 is a unscored severity Linux kernel vulnerability . It affects Linux kernel versions from 3.16 onward and has been patched in 6.6.160, 6.12.113, 6.18.57 and others. CVE-2026-99038 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-2026-99038?
Yes. CVE-2026-99038 has been patched. Fixed versions include 6.6.160, 6.12.113, 6.18.57 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 3.16 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.
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Is CVE-2026-99038 actively exploited?
No. CVE-2026-99038 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.