Local kernel memory disclosure via stale scheduler fence
Published Oct 6, 2026 · Updated Oct 6, 2026
Use-after-free in the Linux kernel's drm/msm GPU driver allows local users to read freed scheduler memory through a fence timeline query. The ring and VM teardown paths free objects containing a GPU scheduler while an exported, signaled fence still points to that scheduler; a later SYNC_IOC_FILE_INFO query dereferences it. Exploitation requires access to the affected GPU driver and an exported fence, and the documented outcome is a stale kernel-memory read rather than demonstrated code execution.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in the Linux kernel's drm/msm GPU driver allows local users to read freed scheduler memory through a fence timeline query. The ring and VM teardown paths free objects containing a GPU scheduler while an exported, signaled fence still points to that scheduler; a later SYNC_IOC_FILE_INFO query dereferences it. Exploitation requires access to the affected GPU driver and an exported fence, and the documented outcome is a stale kernel-memory read rather than demonstrated code execution.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-98180
- Published
- Oct 6, 2026
- Updated
- Oct 6, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- Unavailable
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Oct 6, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Oct 6, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=1d8a5ca436ee4a28eec14cb813f790f7cdeeee19 <01c8d1f385f788f1bbbbb7687c4386d614281218
- Affected versionversion=1d8a5ca436ee4a28eec14cb813f790f7cdeeee19 <713abac5c04ccbae67f9ac68c3921845535388e7
- Affected versionversion=1d8a5ca436ee4a28eec14cb813f790f7cdeeee19 <d81bf4581903b0cba0698cd4d1c07fc6be21754a
- Affected versionversion=5.15
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
No CVSS assessment is available in this record.
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Activity data is delayed. The latest report is Sep 28, 2026.
Weakness, pattern, technique
No sourced classifications are available.
Public exploit references
No public exploit references are available in this record.
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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