---
id: CVE-2026-98251
title: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  openvswitch: avoid reallocating confirmed conntrack labels

  ovs_ct_get_conn_labels() adds the labels extension when a conntrack
  entry does not have one
summary: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  openvswitch: avoid reallocating confirmed conntrack labels

  ovs_ct_get_conn_labels() adds the labels extension when a conntrack
  entry does not have one.  Confirmed conn…
severity: high
cvss: 7.8
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'
vendor: Linux
product: Linux
affected:
  - >-
    Linux >= c2ac667358708d7cce64c78f58af6adf4c1e848b <
    4371d79ea74407fb992c985b1f94391e35bb8289
  - >-
    Linux >= c2ac667358708d7cce64c78f58af6adf4c1e848b <
    7ff688aceada1160331a789385ea146f62fbddf7
  - >-
    Linux >= c2ac667358708d7cce64c78f58af6adf4c1e848b <
    05eab8dced6bf4d3009a6eeee16ddac99047dc83
  - >-
    Linux >= c2ac667358708d7cce64c78f58af6adf4c1e848b <
    579d87ec1e1e85729a6cb2c25961e58beb78640c
  - >-
    Linux >= c2ac667358708d7cce64c78f58af6adf4c1e848b <
    2e6dd889c325abf23821e1459c3ffef59b7f0009
  - >-
    Linux >= c2ac667358708d7cce64c78f58af6adf4c1e848b <
    d16f089bd700f45d720ce989d5495e1dc3be0cf8
  - >-
    Linux >= c2ac667358708d7cce64c78f58af6adf4c1e848b <
    8c9fcc6c33950d3db551af664d1fd3d998bfee56
  - >-
    Linux >= c2ac667358708d7cce64c78f58af6adf4c1e848b <
    3f118c8217c109fd13ca61caa301d72c483897ef
  - Linux 4.3
published: '2026-10-06'
updated: '2026-10-07'
sourceUpdated: '2026-10-07T07:17:06.237'
source: NVD
sourceUrl: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98251'
references:
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/05eab8dced6bf4d3009a6eeee16ddac99047dc83'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2e6dd889c325abf23821e1459c3ffef59b7f0009'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3f118c8217c109fd13ca61caa301d72c483897ef'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4371d79ea74407fb992c985b1f94391e35bb8289'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/579d87ec1e1e85729a6cb2c25961e58beb78640c'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7ff688aceada1160331a789385ea146f62fbddf7'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8c9fcc6c33950d3db551af664d1fd3d998bfee56'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d16f089bd700f45d720ce989d5495e1dc3be0cf8'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: >-
      https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-98251.json
  - url: 'https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-98251'
  - url: 'https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2546411'
  - url: 'https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-98251'
  - url: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98251'
  - url: >-
      https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/security/vulns.git/plain/cve/published/2026/CVE-2026-98251.mbox
tags:
  - nvd
  - cve.org
  - csaf
  - vex
  - red-hat
epss: 0.00129
epssPercentile: 0.0255
ingestedAt: '2026-10-06T08:50:17.430Z'
cwe:
  - CWE-366
scores:
  nvd: 7.8
  vendor: 7
  cna: 7.8
---

## Overview

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

openvswitch: avoid reallocating confirmed conntrack labels

ovs_ct_get_conn_labels() adds the labels extension when a conntrack
entry does not have one.  Confirmed conntracks can be read locklessly,
so adding an extension may reallocate and free the extension block
while another CPU accesses it.

Only add the extension for unconfirmed conntracks.  A confirmed
conntrack without labels now fails the caller's label operation instead
of reallocating its extension storage.

## 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 7, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9, Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 · no fix planned: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9, … · updated 2026-10-10 · [vex](https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-98251.json)