CVE-2026-98286

Published Oct 6, 2026

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: drop_monitor: use timer_shutdown_sync() to prevent timer rearming during teardown In drop_monitor teardown paths (net_dm_trace_off_set(), net_dm_hw_monitor_stop(), and error unwind paths in net_dm_trace_on_set() and net_dm_hw_monitor_start()), per-CPU timers are stopped using timer_delete_sync() followed by cancel_work_sync(). However, there is a circular dependency between send_timer and dm_alert_work: 1) sched_send_work() (timer callback) schedules dm_alert_work. 2) send_dm_alert() / net_dm_hw_summary_work() calls reset_per_cpu_data() or net_dm_hw_reset_per_cpu_data(). 3) If memory allocation fails under memory pressure in the reset function, it re-arms the timer via mod_timer(&data->send_timer, ...). If dm_alert_work is running concurrently while timer_delete_sync() executes on another CPU, an allocation failure in the worker will re-arm the timer after timer_delete_sync() has already returned. Once cancel_work_sync() completes and module_put() is called, the timer remains active in the timer wheel. If the module is then unloaded, the timer will fire and execute sched_send_work() in freed memory, triggering a kernel panic / use-after-free. Switch from timer_delete_sync() to timer_shutdown_sync(). This guarantees that any in-flight timer handler has finished and prevents subsequent re-arming attempts from running workers from succeeding. When monitoring is restarted later, timer_setup() is invoked, which cleanly re-initializes the timer.

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EPSS — Exploit Prediction

0.0017
Probability of exploitation
0.06%
Percentile rank

EPSS estimates the probability that this vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. A higher score means more likely to be exploited.

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-98286? +
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: drop_monitor: use timer_shutdown_sync() to prevent timer rearming during teardown In drop_monitor teardown paths (net_dm_trace_off_set(), net_dm_hw_monitor_stop(), and error unwind paths in net_dm_trace_on_set() and net_dm_hw_monitor_start()), per-CPU timers are stopped using timer_delete_sync() followed by cancel_work_sync(). However, there is a circular dependency between send_timer and dm_alert_work: 1) sched_send_work() (timer callback) schedules dm_alert_work. 2) send_dm_alert() / net_dm_hw_summary_work() calls reset_per_cpu_data() or net_dm_hw_reset_per_cpu_data(). 3) If memory allocation fails under memory pressure in the reset function, it re-arms the timer via mod_timer(&data->send_timer, ...). If dm_alert_work is running concurrently while timer_delete_sync() executes on another CPU, an allocation failure in the worker will re-arm the timer after timer_delete_sync() has already returned. Once cancel_work_sync() completes and module_put() is called, the timer remains active in the timer wheel. If the module is then unloaded, the timer will fire and execute sched_send_work() in freed memory, triggering a kernel panic / use-after-free. Switch from timer_delete_sync() to timer_shutdown_sync(). This guarantees that any in-flight timer handler has finished and prevents subsequent re-arming attempts from running workers from succeeding. When monitoring is restarted later, timer_setup() is invoked, which cleanly re-initializes the timer.
How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2026-98286? +
You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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