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Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2026-98260

🗓️ 06 Oct 2026 00:00:00Reported by TenableType 
nessus
 nessus
🔗 www.tenable.com👁 5 Views

Use-after-free in Linux kernel posix_cputimers during non-leader thread exec().

Related
Refs
Code
ReporterTitlePublishedViews
Family
cve
CVE
CVE-2026-98260
6 Oct 202608:45
–cve
cvelist
Cvelist
CVE-2026-98260 exec: Cleanup POSIX timers right after de_thread()
6 Oct 202608:45
–cvelist
debiancve
Debian CVE
CVE-2026-98260
6 Oct 202608:45
–debiancve
euvd
EUVD
EUVD-2026-93188
6 Oct 202608:45
–euvd
mscve
Microsoft CVE
exec: Cleanup POSIX timers right after de_thread()
7 Oct 202608:12
–mscve
nvd
NVD
CVE-2026-98260
6 Oct 202609:18
–nvd
osv
OSV
AZL-106044 CVE-2026-98260 affecting package kernel 6.6.157.1-1
6 Oct 202609:18
–osv
osv
OSV
DEBIAN-CVE-2026-98260
6 Oct 202609:18
–osv
osv
OSV
UBUNTU-CVE-2026-98260
6 Oct 202609:18
–osv
ptsecurity
Positive Technologies
PT-2026-106589
6 Oct 202600:00
–ptsecurity
Rows per page
#%NASL_MIN_LEVEL 80900
##
# (C) Tenable, Inc.
##

include('compat.inc');

if (description)
{
  script_id(363165);
  script_version("1.1");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_modification_date", value:"2026/10/06");

  script_cve_id("CVE-2026-98260");

  script_name(english:"Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2026-98260");

  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.

  - exec: Cleanup POSIX timers right after de_thread() A per-thread CPU timer holds a reference to the PID of
    the thread it is attached to and, while it is armed, its node is queued in that thread's posix_cputimers.
    The task is looked up by that PID. When a non-leader thread exec()s, de_thread() changes which task owns
    that PID. pid_task(timer->it.cpu.pid, PIDTYPE_PID) then returns NULL, but the node is still queued on tsk,
    which is alive. timer_lock_sighand() takes a failed lookup to mean that the node is already dequeued, so
    it has nothing to undo. begin_new_exec() calls posix_cpu_timers_exit(me) right after
    exec_task_namespaces() and that removes the leftover node, so the state normally stays invisible. But
    bprm->point_of_no_return is set before de_thread(), so if unshare_files(), set_mm_exe_file(), exec_mmap()
    or exec_task_namespaces() fails, the task dies before it gets there. exit_itimers() then frees the
    k_itimer while its node is still queued, and reaping tsk later erases that freed node from the rbtree. In
    short: the non-leader thread B the parent timer_create(CLOCK_THREAD_CPUTIME_ID) timer_settime()
    arm_timer() // the node is queued on B execve() de_thread(B) exchange_tids(B, leader) // B's PID now
    belongs to the leader release_task(leader) __exit_signal(leader) posix_cpu_timers_exit(leader) // cleans
    leader's queue, not B's __unhash_process(leader) // that PID has no task anymore exec_mmap()
    mmap_read_lock_killable(old_mm) kill(B, SIGKILL) // -EINTR get_signal() do_exit() exit_itimers()
    posix_timer_delete() posix_cpu_timer_del() posix_timer_unhash_and_free() // freed while still queued
    wait4() release_task(B) posix_cpu_timers_exit(B) cleanup_timerqueue() timerqueue_del() // use-after-free
    Move the POSIX timer cleanup right after de_thread() before any of the later failure conditions brings the
    task into do_exit(). [ tglx: Move the cleanup right after de_thread() ] (CVE-2026-98260)

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-2026-98260");
  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-2026-98260");

  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:12.0");
  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-12", "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-12": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "12",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "btrfs-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "cdrom-core-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "ext4-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "fat-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "isofs-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "jfs-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "kernel-image-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "linux-doc"},
          {"reference": "linux-doc-6.1"},
          {"reference": "linux-headers-6.1.0"},
          {"reference": "linux-source"},
          {"reference": "linux-source-6.1"},
          {"reference": "linux-support-6.1.0"},
          {"reference": "loop-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "nic-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "nic-shared-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "nic-wireless-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "pata-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "ppp-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "scsi-core-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "scsi-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "scsi-nic-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "serial-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "usb-serial-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"},
          {"reference": "xfs-modules-6.1.0-50-alpha-generic-di"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "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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06 Oct 2026 00:00Current
5.8Medium risk
Vulners AI Score5.8
CVSS 3.17.8
EPSS0.00134
5