CVE-2026-98321

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: netfilter: nf_nat: unregister and release hooks on error If nf_hook_entries_insert_raw() fails, the NAT hooks get never released, resulting in a memleak. Postpone setting nat_proto_net->nat_hook_ops when the hooks are registered to simplify the error path to decide whether the nat hooks need unwinding.

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-2026-98321

EUVD

EUVD-2026-93306

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
Linux	Linux	1cd472bf036ca038e783ef5f058f54e45b7e8180
Linux	Linux	1cd472bf036ca038e783ef5f058f54e45b7e8180
Linux	Linux	1cd472bf036ca038e783ef5f058f54e45b7e8180
Linux	Linux	4.18

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This vulnerability in the Linux kernel involves a memory leak in the netfilter NAT subsystem. When a specific function fails, NAT hooks are not properly released, causing memory to remain allocated.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability involves a memory leak in the Linux kernel's netfilter NAT hooks due to improper cleanup on error. Detection requires checking for memory leaks in the netfilter subsystem or monitoring for unregistered NAT hooks. Use commands like 'dmesg | grep -i memleak' or 'cat /proc/slabinfo' to identify memory leaks. Check kernel logs for NAT hook-related errors with 'journalctl -k | grep -i nat'.

Impact Analysis

The memory leak could lead to gradual system resource exhaustion, potentially causing performance degradation or crashes over time if the affected component is heavily used.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability causes a memory leak in the Linux kernel's netfilter NAT hooks due to improper cleanup on error. While it does not directly impact data privacy or security controls, memory leaks can lead to system instability or crashes, potentially affecting the availability of systems handling regulated data under GDPR or HIPAA.

Mitigation Strategies

Update the Linux kernel to the latest patched version to resolve the memleak in nf_nat hooks. Monitor system memory usage for leaks and restart affected services if necessary.

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