---
id: CVE-2026-98015
title: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  net/mlx5: E-Switch: fix use-after-free in mlx5_eswitch_termtbl_put

  In mlx5_eswitch_termtbl_put(), the zero-ref cleanup check reads
  tt->ref_count after termtbl_mutex ha…
summary: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  net/mlx5: E-Switch: fix use-after-free in mlx5_eswitch_termtbl_put

  In mlx5_eswitch_termtbl_put(), the zero-ref cleanup check reads
  tt->ref_count after termtbl_mutex ha…
severity: high
cvss: 7
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'
cwe:
  - CWE-825
  - CWE-416
vendor: Linux
product: Linux
affected:
  - >-
    Linux >= 10caabdaad5ace85577a453da97d1f8d3b944427 <
    e3ee194a790896fa92fea20b5385a354be2f2c12
  - >-
    Linux >= 10caabdaad5ace85577a453da97d1f8d3b944427 <
    b1398c9dfb5d3d4faaf6905ff7d98110a5d2c797
  - >-
    Linux >= 10caabdaad5ace85577a453da97d1f8d3b944427 <
    92f581cac93a71723456ac79ef54d9f60a251b42
  - >-
    Linux >= 10caabdaad5ace85577a453da97d1f8d3b944427 <
    a5833fdf53350b8b95a558fcf0056ddb1c0fe154
  - >-
    Linux >= 10caabdaad5ace85577a453da97d1f8d3b944427 <
    304ea40ef4561671503c36e47da44a0a31b71e36
  - >-
    Linux >= 10caabdaad5ace85577a453da97d1f8d3b944427 <
    e393789e92310d7c66f57c876101779c90816a12
  - >-
    Linux >= 10caabdaad5ace85577a453da97d1f8d3b944427 <
    18b2969073879b9cce24e1a78b118bdad54518d1
  - >-
    Linux >= 10caabdaad5ace85577a453da97d1f8d3b944427 <
    7ee07f601f8f507c9faf25c68a49396ab8950596
  - Linux 5.3
published: '2026-09-25'
updated: '2026-10-03'
sourceUpdated: '2026-10-03T11:18:24.657'
source: NVD
sourceUrl: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98015'
references:
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/18b2969073879b9cce24e1a78b118bdad54518d1'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/304ea40ef4561671503c36e47da44a0a31b71e36'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7ee07f601f8f507c9faf25c68a49396ab8950596'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/92f581cac93a71723456ac79ef54d9f60a251b42'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a5833fdf53350b8b95a558fcf0056ddb1c0fe154'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b1398c9dfb5d3d4faaf6905ff7d98110a5d2c797'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e393789e92310d7c66f57c876101779c90816a12'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e3ee194a790896fa92fea20b5385a354be2f2c12'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: >-
      https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-98015.json
  - url: 'https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-98015'
  - url: 'https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2541026'
  - url: 'https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-98015'
  - url: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98015'
  - url: >-
      https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/security/vulns.git/plain/cve/published/2026/CVE-2026-98015.mbox
  - url: 'https://kernelcve.org/list/?q=CVE-2026-98015'
tags:
  - nvd
  - cve.org
  - csaf
  - vex
  - red-hat
epss: 0.00177
epssPercentile: 0.07176
cvssSource: vendor
ingestedAt: '2026-09-25T11:06:38.858Z'
---

## Overview

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

net/mlx5: E-Switch: fix use-after-free in mlx5_eswitch_termtbl_put

In mlx5_eswitch_termtbl_put(), the zero-ref cleanup check reads
tt->ref_count after termtbl_mutex has been released.  Two concurrent
callers on the same mlx5_termtbl_handle race: one decrements ref_count
to zero, removes the hash entry, and calls kfree(tt) while the other
has already dropped the mutex and is about to evaluate
if (!tt->ref_count), producing a use-after-free.

Fix this by capturing the result of the decrement into a stack-local
last variable before dropping the mutex.  The cleanup decision is now
made entirely under termtbl_mutex, and tt is not touched after
kfree.

## 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 2026-10-23 · [vex](https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-98015.json)