CVE-2026-98230xfrm: use hlist_del_init_rcu for state_cache and state_cache_input
- 7.0HighCVSS base score
- 0.12%Exploitation in 30 daysEPSS · top 98% of all CVEs
- NoKnown exploitednot in CISA's KEV catalog
- NonePublic exploitsnone known yet
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: xfrm: use hlist_del_init_rcu for state_cache and state_cache_input Commit 14acf9652e56 ("xfrm: defensively unhash xfrm_state lists in __xfrm_state_delete") converted bydst/bysrc/byseq/byspi from hlist_del_rcu() to hlist_del_init_rcu() so that a second __xfrm_state_delete() on the same object becomes a no-op rather than a write through LIST_POISON pprev. It missed state_cache and state_cache_input, which kept hlist_del_rcu(): - hlist_del_rcu() leaves pprev = LIST_POISON2 (non-NULL), so hlist_unhashed() returns false. - hlist_del_init_rcu() leaves pprev = NULL, so hlist_unhashed() returns true. A second __xfrm_state_delete() therefore enters __hlist_del() on the already-deleted state_cache/state_cache_input nodes and does WRITE_ONCE(*pprev, next) through LIST_POISON2 — a write use-after-free once the slab is reused. The corruption can in turn cause a subsequent hlist_for_each_entry_rcu traversal to follow a dangling next pointer, producing the read use-after-free reported in xfrm_input_state_lookup(). Switch state_cache and state_cache_input to hlist_del_init_rcu() to match the other four lists, closing the write use-after-free and, with it, the read use-after-free it spawns.
Timeline
ID reserved
By Linux
- 11 days later
· 11 days later
Published
- 13 days later
· 13 days later
Record updated
Changes after publication (a new score, a public exploit, EPSS crossing 1, 10 or 50 %, leaving KEV) are kept since November 2026; earlier ones are not known.
Scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| LinuxCNA (assigner) | 3.1 | High7.0 | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
| NVDNVD · Received | 3.1 | High7.0 | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
- EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)
- 0.12% · top 98% of all CVEs (13 Nov 2026)
The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: High 7.0.
Affected products
- affected aa48a18fdb0911572d133057cd579db704b87da4 – < fb38fb7420d5f7192f9e2b6ac835ede149cd7ac5
- affected 0045e3d80613cc7174dc15f189ee6fc4e73b9365 – < 4748c27e2e6a1969e02f1df46e62f79d2799b80b
- affected 0045e3d80613cc7174dc15f189ee6fc4e73b9365 – < 9b74a47a4cbd0d29faff4f3b199212c73e6b6220
- affected 0045e3d80613cc7174dc15f189ee6fc4e73b9365 – < 2afb8dc1f4390f164db8352f8e685e126e9db566
- affected 5e4334dc39443645415450163ff5ff1ee7e79784
- affected 6.12.13 – < 6.12.112
- affected 6.13
- unaffected < 6.13
- unaffected 6.12.112 – ≤ 6.12.*
- unaffected 6.18.54 – ≤ 6.18.*
- unaffected 7.2.8 – ≤ 7.2.*
- unaffected 7.3 – ≤ *
References
References4
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fb38fb7420d5f7192f9e2b6ac835ede149cd7ac5 (opens in a new tab)
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4748c27e2e6a1969e02f1df46e62f79d2799b80b (opens in a new tab)
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9b74a47a4cbd0d29faff4f3b199212c73e6b6220 (opens in a new tab)
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2afb8dc1f4390f164db8352f8e685e126e9db566 (opens in a new tab)
Sources
The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.
- CVE.org record (opens in a new tab)
- CVE List JSON (GitHub) (opens in a new tab)
- NVD (opens in a new tab)
- FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
- EUVD EUVD-2026-93158 (opens in a new tab)
- OSV.dev (opens in a new tab)
- GitHub Advisories (opens in a new tab)
- CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup (opens in a new tab)
Badge for a README or a ticket
[](https://cveledger.app/cve/CVE-2026-98230)Record last updated .