---
id: CVE-2026-98320
title: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  netfilter: flowtable: hold reference on ct until flow is released

  nf_ct_put() releases the ct->ext area inmediately, the rcu typesafe
  semantics also allow to refer to …
summary: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  netfilter: flowtable: hold reference on ct until flow is released

  nf_ct_put() releases the ct->ext area inmediately, the rcu typesafe
  semantics also allow to refer to …
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 >= 0ff90b6c20340e57616a51ae1a1bf18156d6638a <
    93ff1594be1aad4da364462dd8db050ebcfda2de
  - >-
    Linux >= 0ff90b6c20340e57616a51ae1a1bf18156d6638a <
    eed6997e8dc40593a539fcc722e7ed51b18db86c
  - >-
    Linux >= 0ff90b6c20340e57616a51ae1a1bf18156d6638a <
    61c6688be282277c6e91ab286a7acd0ae8681ac6
  - >-
    Linux >= 0ff90b6c20340e57616a51ae1a1bf18156d6638a <
    a43cd2b67b91e943273c913237a7a88c50cdcfbc
  - >-
    Linux >= 0ff90b6c20340e57616a51ae1a1bf18156d6638a <
    8274cdc5f9c57e17ed77fc4ba76212536c840f25
  - >-
    Linux >= 0ff90b6c20340e57616a51ae1a1bf18156d6638a <
    12c1ac230f4ca16e0017b62a963ab75e0b48074f
  - >-
    Linux >= 0ff90b6c20340e57616a51ae1a1bf18156d6638a <
    d9e6175a3ee48209ee65f294fc567b4e16b29b74
  - >-
    Linux >= 0ff90b6c20340e57616a51ae1a1bf18156d6638a <
    e75a9fa1d44bcbd66ea02e8781bcca6ea4076e0d
  - Linux 4.16
published: '2026-10-06'
updated: '2026-10-07'
sourceUpdated: '2026-10-07T07:17:08.847'
source: NVD
sourceUrl: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98320'
references:
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/12c1ac230f4ca16e0017b62a963ab75e0b48074f'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/61c6688be282277c6e91ab286a7acd0ae8681ac6'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8274cdc5f9c57e17ed77fc4ba76212536c840f25'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/93ff1594be1aad4da364462dd8db050ebcfda2de'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a43cd2b67b91e943273c913237a7a88c50cdcfbc'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d9e6175a3ee48209ee65f294fc567b4e16b29b74'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e75a9fa1d44bcbd66ea02e8781bcca6ea4076e0d'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/eed6997e8dc40593a539fcc722e7ed51b18db86c'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: >-
      https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-98320.json
  - url: 'https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-98320'
  - url: 'https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2546494'
  - url: 'https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-98320'
  - url: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98320'
  - url: >-
      https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/security/vulns.git/plain/cve/published/2026/CVE-2026-98320.mbox
  - url: 'https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:85773'
  - url: 'https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:85774'
tags:
  - nvd
  - cve.org
  - csaf
  - vex
  - red-hat
epss: 0.00139
epssPercentile: 0.03213
ingestedAt: '2026-10-06T08:50:17.407Z'
cwe:
  - CWE-825
scores:
  nvd: 7.8
  vendor: 7
  cna: 7.8
patched:
  - enterprise_linux_baseos_v_8
  - enterprise_linux_crb_v_8
  - enterprise_linux_nfv_v_8
  - enterprise_linux_rt_v_8
---

## Overview

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

netfilter: flowtable: hold reference on ct until flow is released

nf_ct_put() releases the ct->ext area inmediately, the rcu typesafe
semantics also allow to refer to the wrong conntrack from the flowtable
datapath. Hold reference on ct until flow is released after rcu grace
period.

Add rcu_barrier() on module exit path, to ensure pending flow entries
are release before module goes away.

## Remediation

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

## Vendor advisories

- **Red Hat VEX** · Important · affected: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9, Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 · no fix planned: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9, Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 · updated 2026-10-20 · [vex](https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-98320.json)
- **RHSA-2026:85773** · Red Hat · fixed in: Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 8), Red Hat Enterprise Linux CRB (v. 8) · released 2026-10-20 · [advisory](https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:85773)
- **RHSA-2026:85774** · Red Hat · fixed in: Red Hat Enterprise Linux NFV (v. 8), Red Hat Enterprise Linux RT (v. 8) · released 2026-10-20 · [advisory](https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:85774)