Invalid kernel-memory access via stale device references
Published Oct 18, 2026 · Updated Oct 18, 2026
Use-after-free in Linux NVMe before 7.2.10 allows local users to trigger invalid kernel-memory access during namespace teardown. The character-device lifetime outlasts its namespace or namespace-head reference, leaving cdev cleanup accessing freed memory after open handles survive removal. Triggering requires character-device access overlapping namespace removal; the published test demonstrates a KASAN error, not privilege escalation.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in Linux NVMe before 7.2.10 allows local users to trigger invalid kernel-memory access during namespace teardown. The character-device lifetime outlasts its namespace or namespace-head reference, leaving cdev cleanup accessing freed memory after open handles survive removal. Triggering requires character-device access overlapping namespace removal; the published test demonstrates a KASAN error, not privilege escalation.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-98815
- Published
- Oct 18, 2026
- Updated
- Oct 18, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- Unavailable
- Attack vector
- local
- 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?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=0 <7.2.10
- Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <98b09ad7934482e64db4b4477d91e3bbf43adf4c
- Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <9952f3882ecba709092379b71e02b09762b26f96
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
Your stack
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Your stack
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