---
id: CVE-2026-97998
title: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  netfilter: nfnetlink_log: cope with concurrent instance destruction

  Instances are refcounted
summary: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  netfilter: nfnetlink_log: cope with concurrent instance destruction

  Instances are refcounted. However, only memory release happens on the
  1 -> 0 transition; the unlink…
severity: medium
vendor: Linux
product: Linux
affected:
  - >-
    Linux >= 0597f2680d666a3bcf101ac0c771ba7e50016bbd <
    c5c89beaa628d6ac527c6eb2e01b2b52eb417f59
  - >-
    Linux >= 0597f2680d666a3bcf101ac0c771ba7e50016bbd <
    042465e7d3d3127e21f04e42c1639e2518b98915
  - >-
    Linux >= 0597f2680d666a3bcf101ac0c771ba7e50016bbd <
    291685fc8d2e4cf75ed3a23c810883653f407f46
  - >-
    Linux >= 0597f2680d666a3bcf101ac0c771ba7e50016bbd <
    3161186a2ff81288e9a5f35daf1911153764ecae
  - >-
    Linux >= 0597f2680d666a3bcf101ac0c771ba7e50016bbd <
    0234d7ca0317be0a623300e1693cd794bbfdf8af
  - >-
    Linux >= 0597f2680d666a3bcf101ac0c771ba7e50016bbd <
    1a7a8ac9a9f0ad0d410c901cb6f233833518844c
  - >-
    Linux >= 0597f2680d666a3bcf101ac0c771ba7e50016bbd <
    e2dd0f1f8c4e6334699ea6382e52f6da0c7e45eb
  - >-
    Linux >= 0597f2680d666a3bcf101ac0c771ba7e50016bbd <
    387d744fa7e499d2c3748a4e60e02ebb24e7fb16
  - Linux 2.6.14
published: '2026-09-25'
updated: '2026-10-03'
sourceUpdated: '2026-10-03T11:18:23.370'
source: NVD
sourceUrl: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-97998'
references:
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0234d7ca0317be0a623300e1693cd794bbfdf8af'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/042465e7d3d3127e21f04e42c1639e2518b98915'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1a7a8ac9a9f0ad0d410c901cb6f233833518844c'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/291685fc8d2e4cf75ed3a23c810883653f407f46'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3161186a2ff81288e9a5f35daf1911153764ecae'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/387d744fa7e499d2c3748a4e60e02ebb24e7fb16'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c5c89beaa628d6ac527c6eb2e01b2b52eb417f59'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e2dd0f1f8c4e6334699ea6382e52f6da0c7e45eb'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: >-
      https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-97998.json
  - url: 'https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-97998'
  - url: 'https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2541175'
  - url: 'https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-97998'
  - url: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-97998'
  - url: >-
      https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/security/vulns.git/plain/cve/published/2026/CVE-2026-97998.mbox
tags:
  - nvd
  - cve.org
  - csaf
  - vex
  - red-hat
epss: 0.00216
epssPercentile: 0.11987
ingestedAt: '2026-09-25T11:06:38.863Z'
cvss: 5.5
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'
cvssSource: vendor
cwe:
  - CWE-366
---

## Overview

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

netfilter: nfnetlink_log: cope with concurrent instance destruction

Instances are refcounted. However, only memory release happens on the
1 -> 0 transition; the unlink from hashes can occur with any refcount.

Uncooperative userspace can force a situation where a queue is pending
for destruction from netlink event while a different socket with same
portid processes an UNBIND request.

With right timing, this will unhash the instance again:

Oops: general protection fault, [..]
Call Trace:
 <TASK>
 nfulnl_recv_config+0x31a/0xd50
 nfnetlink_rcv_msg+0x7c2/0xeb0

## Remediation

Refer to the linked advisories for vendor-supplied fixes and affected version ranges.

## Vendor advisories

- **Red Hat VEX** · Moderate · affected: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9, Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 · no fix planned: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8, … · updated 2026-10-17 · [vex](https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-97998.json)