Invalid memory access via request-cancellation race
Published Oct 18, 2026 · Updated Oct 18, 2026
Use-after-free in Linux's Thunderbolt driver allows attackers to trigger invalid kernel memory access during request cancellation. tb_cfg_request_cancel() reschedules tb_cfg_request_work() after completion has removed the request and dropped its reference, causing access to freed memory. The race requires active Thunderbolt control-channel operations; the published report demonstrates a KASAN fault but establishes neither attacker privileges nor code execution or a system crash.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in Linux's Thunderbolt driver allows attackers to trigger invalid kernel memory access during request cancellation. tb_cfg_request_cancel() reschedules tb_cfg_request_work() after completion has removed the request and dropped its reference, causing access to freed memory. The race requires active Thunderbolt control-channel operations; the published report demonstrates a KASAN fault but establishes neither attacker privileges nor code execution or a system crash.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-98694
- Published
- Oct 18, 2026
- Updated
- Oct 18, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- Unavailable
- Attack vector
- Unavailable
- Privileges
- Unavailable
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Oct 18, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- 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?
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- Affected versionversion=4.13
- Affected versionversion=d7f781bfdbf4eb7c5706c9974b8bf6d3c82e69c1 <08287212b622039212c972806f896f078dfd28e2
- Affected versionversion=d7f781bfdbf4eb7c5706c9974b8bf6d3c82e69c1 <71b3c517e02af2c46ad58d4b3706b7c3cb24936d
- Affected versionversion=d7f781bfdbf4eb7c5706c9974b8bf6d3c82e69c1 <a02188ddc24b7872f0c5e0c5873f827318717803
- Affected versionversion=d7f781bfdbf4eb7c5706c9974b8bf6d3c82e69c1 <f18faa3d3b810d60a3005ae1b1d1866faa67d343
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
No CVSS assessment is available in this record.
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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
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Technologies
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