CVE-2026-98286
Received Received - Intake

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Vulnerability report for CVE-2026-98286, including description, CVSS score, EPSS score, affected products, exploitability, helpful resources, and attack-flow context.

Publication date: 2026-10-06

Last updated on: 2026-10-06

Assigner: kernel.org

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: drop_monitor: use timer_shutdown_sync() to prevent timer rearming during teardown In drop_monitor teardown paths (net_dm_trace_off_set(), net_dm_hw_monitor_stop(), and error unwind paths in net_dm_trace_on_set() and net_dm_hw_monitor_start()), per-CPU timers are stopped using timer_delete_sync() followed by cancel_work_sync(). However, there is a circular dependency between send_timer and dm_alert_work: 1) sched_send_work() (timer callback) schedules dm_alert_work. 2) send_dm_alert() / net_dm_hw_summary_work() calls reset_per_cpu_data() or net_dm_hw_reset_per_cpu_data(). 3) If memory allocation fails under memory pressure in the reset function, it re-arms the timer via mod_timer(&data->send_timer, ...). If dm_alert_work is running concurrently while timer_delete_sync() executes on another CPU, an allocation failure in the worker will re-arm the timer after timer_delete_sync() has already returned. Once cancel_work_sync() completes and module_put() is called, the timer remains active in the timer wheel. If the module is then unloaded, the timer will fire and execute sched_send_work() in freed memory, triggering a kernel panic / use-after-free. Switch from timer_delete_sync() to timer_shutdown_sync(). This guarantees that any in-flight timer handler has finished and prevents subsequent re-arming attempts from running workers from succeeding. When monitoring is restarted later, timer_setup() is invoked, which cleanly re-initializes the timer.

CVSS Scores

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Meta Information

Published
2026-10-06
Last Modified
2026-10-06
Generated
2026-10-19
AI Q&A
2026-10-06
EPSS Evaluated
2026-10-18
NVD
EUVD

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 8 associated CPEs
Vendor Product Version / Range
Linux Linux 9398e9c0b1d44eeb700e9e766c02bcc765c82570
Linux Linux 9398e9c0b1d44eeb700e9e766c02bcc765c82570
Linux Linux 9398e9c0b1d44eeb700e9e766c02bcc765c82570
Linux Linux 2514c7ad115e762562c7bdd58bb1ab3425a98245
Linux Linux 439b1164da3612ec7e186e1dc314471e7190bfc7
Linux Linux 5.10.27
Linux Linux 5.11.11
Linux Linux 5.12

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

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Executive Summary

This is a Linux kernel vulnerability where a timer in the drop_monitor subsystem could be re-armed after teardown, leading to a use-after-free condition. The issue occurs due to a circular dependency between a timer callback and a work queue, causing the timer to fire after module unloading, resulting in kernel panic.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to the Linux kernel's drop_monitor functionality and requires kernel-level inspection. Detection involves checking kernel logs for related errors or verifying the kernel version against patched releases. No direct network commands detect this issue.

Impact Analysis

If exploited, this vulnerability could crash the system by triggering a kernel panic. It may also allow local attackers to execute arbitrary code in the kernel context, leading to privilege escalation or denial of service.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability is a kernel-level issue in the Linux operating system that could lead to a use-after-free condition or kernel panic. Such instability may compromise system integrity, potentially violating compliance requirements for data protection and availability under standards like GDPR and HIPAA, which mandate secure and reliable processing of personal and health data.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the latest kernel patches that include the fix for CVE-2026-98286. If immediate patching is not possible, disable the drop_monitor module by unloading it (rmmod drop_monitor) until the patch is applied.

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