CVE-2026-98953: Linux Vulnerability

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: devlink: fix devlink_rel reference leak when notify work is pending devlink_rel_nested_in_notify_work_schedule() takes a reference on the devlink_rel for the notify work and then queues the work, ignoring the return value of schedule_delayed_work(). If the work is already pending, nothing new is queued, the work runs only once and drops only one reference, so the extra one is leaked together with the devlink_rel and its index in devlink_rels. This is easy to hit. devl_register() of a nested instance queues the work, and if the instance is unregistered before the work has run, devlink_rel_put() queues it again while it is still pending. The work also keeps rescheduling itself for as long as the parent devlink lock cannot be taken, which widens the window. Registering and unregistering a nested devlink instance 100 times while holding the parent lock leaks all 100 devlink_rel objects. The reschedule path in devlink_rel_nested_in_notify_work() has the same problem: if the work was queued again while it was running, the reference it holds is never dropped. Drop the reference in both places when the work was already pending. The pending work holds its own reference, so this can not be the last one.

Affected Software

Source: CNA advisory (CVE.org). NVD analysis pending.

Vendor	Product	Versions
Linux	Linux	>= c137743bce02b18c1537d4681aa515f7b80bf0a8, < 8c7830e0120e6e1f5084212fd5b79b3092496f87; >= c137743bce02b18c1537d4681aa515f7b80bf0a8, < 8de57bfec3825effb57fe4d25da98ec3b8fda4c6; >= c137743bce02b18c1537d4681aa515f7b80bf0a8, < dc2e787b5fb474241c8a6d18fdacb44adc6d571f; >= c137743bce02b18c1537d4681aa515f7b80bf0a8, < c5381ae1cd1481cc431c2bd79460472c6f1d3ce3
Linux	Linux	6.7

References

Timeline

Published: Oct 23, 2026
Last Modified: Oct 23, 2026
Status: Received

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-98953?

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: devlink: fix devlink_rel reference leak when notify work is pending devlink_rel_nested_in_notify_work_schedule() takes a reference on the devlink_rel for the notify work and then queues the work, ignoring the return value of schedule_delayed_work(). If the work is already pending, nothing new is queued, the work runs only once and drops only one reference, so the extra one is leaked together with the devlink_rel and its index in devlink_rels. This is easy to hit. devl_register() of a nested instance queues the work, and if the instance is unregistered before the work has run, devlink_rel_put() queues it again while it is still pending. The work also keeps rescheduling itself for as long as the parent devlink lock cannot be taken, which widens the window. Registering and unregistering a nested devlink instance 100 times while holding the parent lock leaks all 100 devlink_rel objects. The reschedule path in devlink_rel_nested_in_notify_work() has the same problem: if the work was queued again while it was running, the reference it holds is never dropped. Drop the reference in both places when the work was already pending. The pending work holds its own reference, so this can not be the last one.

How severe is CVE-2026-98953?

Severity scoring for CVE-2026-98953 is pending analysis.

How do I fix CVE-2026-98953?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

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