CVE-2026-98666Hinoki check available

Use-after-free via unprotected debugfs reads

Published Oct 18, 2026 · Updated Oct 18, 2026

Use-after-free in the Linux ADIS16136 driver allows local users to access freed kernel memory through debugfs reads. The serial_number operations omit debugfs_file_get() despite using debugfs_create_file_unsafe(), so device unbinding frees the iio_dev while a read remains active. Triggering the race requires an affected device, access to its debugfs entry, normally restricted to root, and concurrent unbinding; a specific crash or privilege-escalation outcome is not documented.

CVSS severityUnavailable
Unscored
EPSS probability0.17%
Next 30 days · Oct 19, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkAvailable
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Summary

What happened

Use-after-free in the Linux ADIS16136 driver allows local users to access freed kernel memory through debugfs reads. The serial_number operations omit debugfs_file_get() despite using debugfs_create_file_unsafe(), so device unbinding frees the iio_dev while a read remains active. Triggering the race requires an affected device, access to its debugfs entry, normally restricted to root, and concurrent unbinding; a specific crash or privilege-escalation outcome is not documented.

The record

CVE
CVE-2026-98666
Published
Oct 18, 2026
Updated
Oct 18, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
Unavailable
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Oct 18, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Oct 18, 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.

  1. Affected versionversion=4.16
  2. Affected versionversion=9aaea09b4cbdbe1a80ab3fa1a5d32c3ec61fa6e2 <2b498df75d6c29aa3e760127ae0f0003df598b53
  3. Affected versionversion=9aaea09b4cbdbe1a80ab3fa1a5d32c3ec61fa6e2 <b05e768420352d9051f86c1a1f20f44fa046ba45
  4. Affected versionversion=9aaea09b4cbdbe1a80ab3fa1a5d32c3ec61fa6e2 <b53dc6e15aead039bc6a5e08060c96786240c81d
  5. Affected versionversion=9aaea09b4cbdbe1a80ab3fa1a5d32c3ec61fa6e2 <d5b0b62e26d7d30e0e16e2d695f2161f7e92a5a5

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=4.16; version=9aaea09b4cbdbe1a80ab3fa1a5d32c3ec61fa6e2 <2b498df75d6c29aa3e760127ae0f0003df598b53; version=9aaea09b4cbdbe1a80ab3fa1a5d32c3ec61fa6e2 <b05e768420352d9051f86c1a1f20f44fa046ba45; version=9aaea09b4cbdbe1a80ab3fa1a5d32c3ec61fa6e2 <b53dc6e15aead039bc6a5e08060c96786240c81d; version=9aaea09b4cbdbe1a80ab3fa1a5d32c3ec61fa6e2 <d5b0b62e26d7d30e0e16e2d695f2161f7e92a5a5

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.

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No observations available

Sep 22, 2026Sep 28, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 28, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

No sourced classifications are available.

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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