CVE-2026-98968 — amt: send the relay's General Query directly from the receive path
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: amt: send the relay's General Query directly from the receive path An skb queued in a qdisc can outlive the tunnel it references through a raw pointer in skb->cb. For example, with igmp_qrv set to 1 on the relay a tunnel lives for 135s, so a netem delay of 180s on the amt device outlives it; when the tunnel expires and is freed, the subsequent dequeue triggers a use-after-free in amt_dev_xmit(). BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in amt_dev_xmit+0x2763/0x2e20 Call Trace: amt_dev_xmit+0x2763/0x2e20 [drivers/net/amt.c:1262] dev_hard_start_xmit+0x22f/0x620 sch_direct_xmit+0x12e/0xac0 netem_dequeue+0x333/0xc50 net_tx_action+0x35c/0xa60 amt_send_igmp_gq() and amt_send_mld_gq() are only called from amt_request_handler(), inside the rcu_read_lock_bh() section of amt_rcv(). amt_request_handler() already has the tunnel the query is for: it found or created it inside that section. Queuing the query with dev_queue_xmit() only leads back into amt_dev_xmit(), which strips the Ethernet header and calls amt_send_membership_query() for that tunnel. Make that call directly from the two senders instead, the same way amt_send_advertisement() transmits from the receive path. The query never waits in a qdisc, the tunnel is only dereferenced inside the RCU section that found or created it, and nothing is stored in skb->cb, so no lookup or refcount is needed. Remove the query branch of amt_dev_xmit(), amt_skb_cb() and struct amt_skb_cb, which have no users left. Behaviour changes: - The relay's own General Queries no longer pass through the amt device's egress path: its qdisc, tc egress (clsact/tcx), the netfilter egress hook and packet taps. They are still visible as UDP on the underlay. - A query that is sent successfully is no longer counted as tx_dropped. The old query branch left through the unlock label, which counted every sent query as dropped. - A query that reaches amt_dev_xmit() on a relay from elsewhere, such as a userspace querier, is now dropped at the IGMP/MLD type switch. Before, it trusted whatever skb->cb held, and a NULL tunnel hit the WARN_ON(1).
Who exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
How the score was calculated
- EPSS 0.5% (30-day exploitation probability)+6
- Technical severity (high)+6
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.
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.
- Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Linux Linux).
- The attack is network-based and needs no privileges: restrict exposure (ACLs, VPN, WAF) until patched.
- No fix documented in the sources: reduce exposure and monitor the vendor advisory.
- Search available logs for exploit probes, errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | ≥ cbc21dc1cfe949e37b2a54c71511579f1899e8d4 and < 95114e421196250e3d9662f12df442799477d3c3≥ cbc21dc1cfe949e37b2a54c71511579f1899e8d4 and < e7183b7d518ce8b3e1f7284f9881d7a87569df14≥ cbc21dc1cfe949e37b2a54c71511579f1899e8d4 and < 181cb48c1e9af6b402567e132f879f89d1c54131≥ cbc21dc1cfe949e37b2a54c71511579f1899e8d4 and < e7ea63b4195a150604993044ab574d8240f2a399≥ cbc21dc1cfe949e37b2a54c71511579f1899e8d4 and < afae89de73dd693cfa329580ba0fba63bd3f0a11version 5.16≥ cbc21dc1cfe949e37b2a54c71511579f1899e8d4 and < 423a46053788ec4a021d57e69d66db7f7f550da4 | Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8.1 | CVSS 3.1 | High | 2.2 | 5.9 | 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 8.1 | CVSS 3.1 | High | — | — | GitHub, Inc. via GitHub Security Advisories |
| 8.1 | CVSS 3.1 | High | — | — | Linux via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H (score shown at the top: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67) EPSS over time FIRST
Oct 24, 2026 → Oct 30, 2026 · 7 reading(s) · max 0.50%
Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.
- Prioritize edge telemetry for the network-reachable component (proxy, WAF, IDS/IPS).
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- Affected products added · linux/linux
- CVSS changed · 8.1
- Record published
- Affected products added · linux/linux
- Source status changed · → Received
- Record created in this database
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 3× References added · Oct 23, 2026 – Oct 30, 2026
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 23, 2026 – Oct 23, 2026
References
8 on the record
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/95114e421196250e3d9662f12df442799477d3c3
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/afae89de73dd693cfa329580ba0fba63bd3f0a11
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98968
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/e7183b7d518ce8b3e1f7284f9881d7a87569df14
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/423a46053788ec4a021d57e69d66db7f7f550da4
- github.com/advisories/GHSA-phwh-mpfm-5g26
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/e7ea63b4195a150604993044ab574d8240f2a399
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/181cb48c1e9af6b402567e132f879f89d1c54131
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- Unknown CVE-2026-99216 Drivers: hv: Don't reset VMBus connection state on error/exit paths 2d
- Unknown CVE-2026-99215 power: supply: core: prevent unregistering a power supply while a callback runs 2d
- Unknown CVE-2026-99207 scsi: target: Disable interrupts while holding delayed_cmd_lock 2d
- Unknown CVE-2026-99208 drm/xe/oa: Zero OA buffer at allocation 2d
- Unknown CVE-2026-99209 drm/xe: skip eviction of a BO with no resource 2d
- Unknown 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 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-2026-98968 is "amt: send the relay's General Query directly from the receive path", rated High. It affects Linux (Linux); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 8.1 describes technical severity. EPSS 0.50% 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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