CVE Intelligence
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CVE-2026-98873 — netfilter: nf_conntrack_expect: zero at allocation time

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netfilter: nf_conntrack_expect: zero at allocation time There are occasional LLM hints wrt. leaking uninitialized data to userspace via ctnetlink. Just zero at allocation time, expectations are not frequently used these days. Intentionally keeps _init as-is because we could theoretically support re-init, so add the missing exp->dir there.

Published Oct 23, 2026 · Updated Oct 26, 2026 · Sources: NIST National Vulnerability Database, CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP, GitHub Security Advisories · CNA: Linux

Who exploits it and how urgent it is

A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.

No exploitation signal in the sources consulted so far.
How the score was calculated
  • EPSS 0.2% (30-day exploitation probability)+1

The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).

Triage

Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.

Exploitation
Not confirmed
Not in CISA KEV — an absence of record, not proof it is unexploited.
EPSS FIRST
0.18%
ahead of 7% of scored CVEs · Oct 29, 2026
Affects
Linux
Linux
CVSS base
—
Score not published yet.

Remediation

Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.

No fix documented by the sources we poll. That does not mean none exists: check the vendor advisory.

First 24 hours

Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.

  1. Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Linux Linux).
  2. No fix documented in the sources: reduce exposure and monitor the vendor advisory.
  3. Search available logs for exploit probes, errors and authentication anomalies.

Affected scope

Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.

VendorProductVersionsStatusSource
Linux Linux ≥ 076a0ca02644657b13e4af363f487ced2942e9cb and < 39cb6ff947c16a576ea68c5f272e634acdcb0085≥ 076a0ca02644657b13e4af363f487ced2942e9cb and < 90545aa07a183887e9d72ce573c18e08f62e2c91≥ 076a0ca02644657b13e4af363f487ced2942e9cb and < 9c11d7ea5ff4dbe162e79f00188814ef5483c295≥ 076a0ca02644657b13e4af363f487ced2942e9cb and < b7f3ee925aee9f1f547d539bc03c35433c238958≥ 076a0ca02644657b13e4af363f487ced2942e9cb and < 824397af7bfe14edad374c64253dae0187ca623d≥ 076a0ca02644657b13e4af363f487ced2942e9cb and < a39ecb856514274c80d0fac4d128dba6b266a8ed≥ 076a0ca02644657b13e4af363f487ced2942e9cb and < 241ccd2fed9051db443aadce248fc0ab30f55e97version 3.4 Vulnerable CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP

EPSS over time FIRST

Oct 24, 2026 → Oct 29, 2026 · 6 reading(s) · max 0.22%

Detection

Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.

  • Not enough vector or weakness data: use the affected application’s logs as a starting point.
application logs

Timeline

What happened to this CVE, newest first.

  • 2026
  • Affected products removed · 14
    Oct 26, 2026 · CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
  • Affected products added · linux/linux
    Oct 26, 2026 · CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
  • Record published
    Oct 23, 2026
  • Affected products added · linux/linux
    Oct 23, 2026 · CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
  • Source status changed · → Received
    Oct 23, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
  • Record created in this database
    Oct 23, 2026 · Alertas do Telegram
  • CVE published
    Oct 23, 2026 · Linux

Source activity

Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.

  • 2× References added · Oct 23, 2026 – Oct 26, 2026
  • 1× Official description updated · Oct 23, 2026 – Oct 23, 2026

References

9 on the record

Elsewhere on this site

Linux
every CVE for this vendor

Related CVEs (same products)

  • CVE-2026-99216 Drivers: hv: Don't reset VMBus connection state on error/exit paths 2d
  • CVE-2026-99215 power: supply: core: prevent unregistering a power supply while a callback runs 2d
  • CVE-2026-99207 scsi: target: Disable interrupts while holding delayed_cmd_lock 2d
  • CVE-2026-99208 drm/xe/oa: Zero OA buffer at allocation 2d
  • CVE-2026-99209 drm/xe: skip eviction of a BO with no resource 2d
  • CVE-2026-99210 accel/rocket: clear rdev on device init failure 2d

Not in any source we poll

Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.

  • No CVSS score published by NVD, the CNA, CISA or GitHub so far.
  • No fixed version, patch or mitigation documented.
  • No CISA SSVC assessment.
  • No CWE classification.
  • No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
  • No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
  • No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.

Answered from this record

Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.

What should defenders know first?

CVE-2026-98873 is "netfilter: nf_conntrack_expect: zero at allocation time", rated Unknown. It affects Linux (Linux); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. EPSS 0.18% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.

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