CVE-2026-98252

Received Received - Intake

BaseFortify

Publication date: 2026-10-06

Last updated on: 2026-10-19

Assigner: kernel.org

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: RDMA/core: fix refcount bug in iwpm_get_nlmsg_request() iwpm_get_nlmsg_request() initializes refcount _after_ list_add_tail() making it accessible to global list where another CPU can kref_get() on nlmsg_request causing a refcount "addition on 0" bug. Fix this by initializing kref _before_ list_add_tail() so refcount for nlmsg_request can be incremented/decremented normally. In addition, also initialize every field before list_add_tail().

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

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Meta Information

Published

2026-10-06

Last Modified

2026-10-19

Generated

2026-10-19

AI Q&A

2026-10-06

EPSS Evaluated

2026-10-18

NVD

CVE-2026-98252

EUVD

EUVD-2026-93180

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
Linux	Linux	30dc5e63d6a5ad24894b5512d10b228d73645a44
Linux	Linux	30dc5e63d6a5ad24894b5512d10b228d73645a44
Linux	Linux	30dc5e63d6a5ad24894b5512d10b228d73645a44
Linux	Linux	30dc5e63d6a5ad24894b5512d10b228d73645a44
Linux	Linux	30dc5e63d6a5ad24894b5512d10b228d73645a44
Linux	Linux	30dc5e63d6a5ad24894b5512d10b228d73645a44
Linux	Linux	30dc5e63d6a5ad24894b5512d10b228d73645a44
Linux	Linux	30dc5e63d6a5ad24894b5512d10b228d73645a44
Linux	Linux	3.16

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This is a refcount bug in the Linux kernel's RDMA subsystem. The function iwpm_get_nlmsg_request() initializes a reference counter after adding an object to a global list. This allows another CPU to increment the counter while it is still zero, causing a refcount 'addition on 0' bug which can lead to memory corruption or crashes.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to the Linux kernel's RDMA subsystem and requires kernel-level inspection. Detection involves checking kernel logs for refcount errors or crashes related to iwpm_get_nlmsg_request(). Use commands like dmesg | grep -i refcount or journalctl -k | grep -i refcount to search for related errors.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability could cause system instability, crashes, or potential privilege escalation if exploited. It primarily affects systems using RDMA (Remote Direct Memory Access) functionality in the Linux kernel.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability is a refcount bug in the Linux kernel's RDMA subsystem that could lead to memory corruption or crashes. It does not directly affect compliance with standards like GDPR or HIPAA, as those focus on data protection and privacy rather than kernel memory management issues.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the latest Linux kernel security updates from your distribution vendor. Reboot the system after applying the patch to ensure the updated kernel is active. Monitor kernel logs for any post-update errors.

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