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Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2026-98231

🗓️ 06 Oct 2026 00:00:00Reported by TenableType 
nessus
 nessus
🔗 www.tenable.com👁 6 Views

Use-after-free in xfrm_dev_state_free() due to a race condition during state GC.

Related
Refs
Code
ReporterTitlePublishedViews
Family
cve
CVE
CVE-2026-98231
6 Oct 202608:45
–cve
cvelist
Cvelist
CVE-2026-98231 xfrm: serialize state GC with device state flush
6 Oct 202608:45
–cvelist
debiancve
Debian CVE
CVE-2026-98231
6 Oct 202608:45
–debiancve
euvd
EUVD
EUVD-2026-93159
6 Oct 202608:45
–euvd
mscve
Microsoft CVE
xfrm: serialize state GC with device state flush
7 Oct 202608:08
–mscve
nvd
NVD
CVE-2026-98231
6 Oct 202609:18
–nvd
osv
OSV
AZL-106323 CVE-2026-98231 affecting package kernel 6.6.157.1-1
6 Oct 202609:18
–osv
osv
OSV
DEBIAN-CVE-2026-98231
6 Oct 202609:18
–osv
ptsecurity
Positive Technologies
PT-2026-106560
6 Oct 202600:00
–ptsecurity
ubuntucve
UbuntuCve
CVE-2026-98231
6 Oct 202609:18
–ubuntucve
#%NASL_MIN_LEVEL 80900
##
# (C) Tenable, Inc.
##

include('compat.inc');

if (description)
{
  script_id(363226);
  script_version("1.1");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_modification_date", value:"2026/10/06");

  script_cve_id("CVE-2026-98231");

  script_name(english:"Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2026-98231");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"synopsis", value:
"The Linux/Unix host has one or more packages installed with a vulnerability that the vendor indicates will not be
patched.");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"description", value:
"The Linux/Unix host has one or more packages installed that are impacted by a vulnerability without a vendor supplied
patch available.

  - xfrm: serialize state GC with device state flush The deferred-device pass in xfrm_dev_state_flush() finds
    states under xfrm_state_dev_gc_lock, but drops the lock before calling xfrm_dev_state_free() because the
    driver callback may sleep. The device GC list does not hold an xfrm_state reference, so the state GC
    worker can destroy the same state concurrently. The race can proceed as follows: CPU 0 CPU 1 find x on the
    device GC list drop xfrm_state_dev_gc_lock read x->xso.dev xfrm_state_gc_destroy(x) xfrm_dev_state_free(x)
    xfrm_state_free(x) continue xfrm_dev_state_free(x) Both paths can invoke the driver callback and drop the
    device reference. CPU 0 can also access the xfrm_state after CPU 1 has freed it. KASAN reported: BUG:
    KASAN: slab-use-after-free in xfrm_dev_state_free+0x24c/0x2a0 Read of size 8 at addr ffff88810bbaa960 by
    task poc/102 Call Trace: xfrm_dev_state_free+0x24c/0x2a0 xfrm_dev_state_flush+0x353/0x400
    xfrm_dev_event+0x26d/0x3a0 notifier_call_chain+0xc0/0x280 __dev_notify_flags+0x169/0x250
    netif_change_flags+0xe7/0x160 dev_change_flags+0x96/0x220 devinet_ioctl+0x7f4/0x1880 Allocated by task 87:
    xfrm_state_alloc+0x1e/0x5c0 xfrm_add_sa+0xe7f/0x5820 xfrm_user_rcv_msg+0x4f3/0x940 Freed by task 57:
    kmem_cache_free+0xcb/0x3d0 xfrm_state_gc_task+0x4a8/0x650 process_one_work+0x63a/0x1070 Serialize
    xfrm_state destruction against the deferred-device pass with a mutex. Keep xfrm_state_dev_gc_lock limited
    to list operations and retain the existing callback and device-reference release ordering.
    (CVE-2026-98231)

Note that Nessus relies on the presence of the package as reported by the vendor.");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"see_also", value:"https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2026-98231");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"solution", value:
"There is no known solution at this time.");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"agent", value:"unix");
  script_set_cvss_base_vector("CVSS2#AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P");
  script_set_cvss_temporal_vector("CVSS2#E:U/RL:U/RC:C");
  script_set_cvss3_base_vector("CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H");
  script_set_cvss3_temporal_vector("CVSS:3.0/E:U/RL:U/RC:C");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cvss_score_source", value:"CVE-2026-98231");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"exploitability_ease", value:"No known exploits are available");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"exploit_available", value:"false");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"vendor_unpatched", value:"true");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"vuln_publication_date", value:"2026/10/06");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_publication_date", value:"2026/10/06");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_type", value:"local");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:debian:debian_linux:13.0");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:debian:debian_linux:linux");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"generated_plugin", value:"current");
  script_end_attributes();

  script_category(ACT_GATHER_INFO);
  script_family(english:"Misc.");

  script_copyright(english:"This script is Copyright (C) 2026 and is owned by Tenable, Inc. or an Affiliate thereof.");

  script_dependencies("ssh_get_info2.nasl", "set_linux_os_id.nasl");
  script_require_keys("Host/cpu", "Host/local_checks_enabled", "global_settings/vendor_unpatched", "Host/OS/identifier");
  script_require_ports("Host/OS/Debian Linux-13");

  exit(0);
}

if (!get_kb_item("global_settings/vendor_unpatched")) exit(0, "Unpatched Vulnerabilities Detection not active.");
if (!get_kb_item("Host/local_checks_enabled")) audit(AUDIT_LOCAL_CHECKS_NOT_ENABLED);
if (empty_or_null(get_one_kb_item("Host/Debian/dpkg-l"))) audit(AUDIT_PACKAGE_LIST_MISSING);

include('linux_unpatched.inc');

var distro_constraints_array = {
  "Debian Linux-13": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "13",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "bpftool"},
          {"reference": "hyperv-daemons"},
          {"reference": "intel-sdsi"},
          {"reference": "libcpupower-dev"},
          {"reference": "libcpupower1"},
          {"reference": "linux-bpf-dev"},
          {"reference": "linux-config-6.12"},
          {"reference": "linux-cpupower"},
          {"reference": "linux-doc"},
          {"reference": "linux-doc-6.12"},
          {"reference": "linux-headers-4kc-malta"},
          {"reference": "linux-headers-5kc-malta"},
          {"reference": "linux-headers-6.12.107+deb13-4kc-malta"},
          {"reference": "linux-headers-6.12.107+deb13-5kc-malta"},
          {"reference": "linux-headers-6.12.107+deb13-alpha-generic"},
          {"reference": "linux-headers-6.12.107+deb13-alpha-smp"},
          {"reference": "linux-headers-6.12.107+deb13-amd64"},
          {"reference": "linux-headers-6.12.107+deb13-arm64"},
          {"reference": "linux-headers-6.12.107+deb13-arm64-16k"},
          {"reference": "linux-headers-6.12.107+deb13-armmp"},
          {"reference": "linux-headers-6.12.107+deb13-armmp-lpae"},
          {"reference": "linux-headers-6.12.107+deb13-cloud-amd64"},
          {"reference": "linux-headers-6.12.107+deb13-cloud-arm64"},
          {"reference": "linux-headers-6.12.107+deb13-common"},
          {"reference": "linux-headers-6.12.107+deb13-common-rt"},
          {"reference": "linux-headers-6.12.107+deb13-loong64"},
          {"reference": "linux-headers-6.12.107+deb13-loongson-3"},
          {"reference": "linux-headers-6.12.107+deb13-m68k"},
          {"reference": "linux-headers-6.12.107+deb13-mips32r2eb"},
          {"reference": "linux-headers-6.12.107+deb13-mips32r2el"},
          {"reference": "linux-headers-6.12.107+deb13-mips64r2eb"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
};

var distro_constraints_values = linux_unpatched::get_distro_constraints(distro_constraints_arr:distro_constraints_array);
if (empty_or_null(distro_constraints_values)) audit(AUDIT_HOST_NOT, 'affected');

var third_party_support = get_kb_item('Host/OS/extended-third-party');
if (!empty_or_null(third_party_support)) {
    var third_party_vendors = distro_constraints_values['third_party'];
    if (!empty_or_null(third_party_vendors)) {
        var vendor;
        foreach vendor (third_party_vendors) {
            if (vendor == third_party_support) exit(0, 'A third party management patch is available for this vulnerability from ' + vendor + '.\n');
        }
    }
}

var report = linux_unpatched::check_unpatched_constraints(distro_constraints_values:distro_constraints_values);

if (!empty_or_null(report))
{
  security_report_v4(
      port       : 0,
      severity   : SECURITY_WARNING,
      extra      : report
  );
  exit(0);
}
else
{
  audit(AUDIT_HOST_NOT, 'affected');
}

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