---
id: CVE-2026-98378
title: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  bpf: Skip unsettled links in link iterator

  bpf_link_prime() inserts a link into link_idr before anon_inode_getfile()
  succeeds and before bpf_link_settle() publishes th…
summary: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  bpf: Skip unsettled links in link iterator

  bpf_link_prime() inserts a link into link_idr before anon_inode_getfile()
  succeeds and before bpf_link_settle() publishes th…
severity: high
published: '2026-10-09'
updated: '2026-10-09'
sourceUpdated: '2026-10-09T08:16:56.123'
source: NVD
sourceUrl: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98378'
references:
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/50e80e2bb5e2be8515205b9c496b9640ddefa434'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/68930f8d40ab4c10ca3b019f076136758fd100a8'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6e271f093d15d323f42de26f66556af53fa8e19f'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/798a61edbc436cacdb659927d067368eeb1e30e2'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/87ce4b53b7436b50fc984f0a6afaf77f68ac5573'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c251ed48bd9063cf7de6049421e78b6de989060f'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: >-
      https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-98378.json
  - url: 'https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-98378'
  - url: 'https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2548398'
  - url: 'https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-98378'
  - url: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98378'
  - url: >-
      https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/security/vulns.git/plain/cve/published/2026/CVE-2026-98378.mbox
tags:
  - nvd
  - csaf
  - vex
  - red-hat
  - cve.org
ingestedAt: '2026-10-09T08:29:41.350Z'
vendor: Red Hat
product: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
affected:
  - enterprise_linux 10
  - enterprise_linux 9
  - openshift_container_platform 4
cvss: 7
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'
cvssSource: vendor
cwe:
  - CWE-825
epss: 0.00117
epssPercentile: 0.01651
scores:
  vendor: 7
  cna: 7.8
---

## Overview

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

bpf: Skip unsettled links in link iterator

bpf_link_prime() inserts a link into link_idr before anon_inode_getfile()
succeeds and before bpf_link_settle() publishes the ID in link->id.
bpf_link_by_id() treats such an ID-zero link as unsettled, but the link
iterator takes a reference without this check.

If anon_inode_getfile() then fails, the creator removes the ID and frees
its still-private link directly.  The iterator is left with a dangling
reference and its next bpf_link_put() accesses freed memory.

Treat ID-zero entries as transient in bpf_link_get_curr_or_next(), just as
bpf_link_by_id() does.

  BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in bpf_link_put
  Write of size 8 by task exp/384
  Call Trace:
  bpf_link_put                    kernel/bpf/syscall.c:3372
  bpf_link_seq_next               kernel/bpf/link_iter.c:33
  bpf_seq_read                    kernel/bpf/bpf_iter.c:158
  vfs_read                        fs/read_write.c:572
  ksys_read                       fs/read_write.c:716
  do_syscall_64                   arch/x86/entry/syscall_64.c:84
  entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe  arch/x86/entry/entry_64.S:121
  Kernel panic - not syncing: KASAN: panic_on_warn set ...

## 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 2026-10-24 · [vex](https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-98378.json)