CVE-2026-98751

Received Received - Intake

Linux Kernel TTY Break Signalling Race Condition

Publication date: 2026-10-18

Last updated on: 2026-10-30

Assigner: kernel.org

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: tty: abort break signalling on hangup The break ioctls can race with hangup and end up calling into a tty driver for a device that is already gone or powered down. Drivers must handle this race, but TCSBRK and TCSBRKP should still be aborted to avoid calling back into the driver after a user-controlled timeout (possibly even after the tty has been reopened). Note that drivers should disable any break state on shutdown so just return on hangup (calling break_ctl() again is racy and will most likely fail for drivers handling the race).

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Meta Information

Published

2026-10-18

Last Modified

2026-10-30

Generated

2026-11-08

AI Q&A

2026-10-18

EPSS Evaluated

2026-11-07

NVD

CVE-2026-98751

EUVD

EUVD-2026-103836

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
Linux	Linux	f34d7a5b7010b82fe97da95496b9971435530062
Linux	Linux	f34d7a5b7010b82fe97da95496b9971435530062
Linux	Linux	f34d7a5b7010b82fe97da95496b9971435530062
Linux	Linux	f34d7a5b7010b82fe97da95496b9971435530062
Linux	Linux	2.6.26

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This vulnerability in the Linux kernel involves a race condition between break ioctls and hangup signals in the tty subsystem. When a hangup occurs, the break ioctls may still attempt to call into a tty driver for a device that is already powered down or disconnected, leading to potential undefined behavior or crashes.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to the Linux kernel's tty subsystem and may not have direct network detection methods. Check kernel logs for tty-related errors or crashes using commands like 'dmesg | grep tty' or 'journalctl -k | grep tty'. Monitor for abnormal break ioctl calls or hangup-related issues in driver logs.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability could cause system instability, crashes, or unexpected behavior in applications relying on tty devices. It may lead to denial-of-service conditions if drivers mishandle the race condition, especially in systems with frequent tty device usage or hangups.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability does not directly affect compliance with GDPR, HIPAA, or similar standards. It is a low-level Linux kernel issue related to tty device handling during hangup, which could lead to race conditions but does not involve data exposure or privacy violations.

Mitigation Strategies

Update the Linux kernel to the latest stable version that includes the fix for this vulnerability. Ensure all tty drivers are properly handling hangup races and disabling break state on shutdown. Review and update any custom tty drivers to comply with the recommended handling.

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