CVE-2026-98230 PUBLISHED

xfrm: use hlist_del_init_rcu for state_cache and state_cache_input

Assigner: Linux
Reserved: 25.09.2026 Published: 06.10.2026 Updated: 06.10.2026

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

xfrm: use hlist_del_init_rcu for state_cache and state_cache_input

Commit 14acf9652e56 ("xfrm: defensively unhash xfrm_state lists in __xfrm_state_delete") converted bydst/bysrc/byseq/byspi from hlist_del_rcu() to hlist_del_init_rcu() so that a second __xfrm_state_delete() on the same object becomes a no-op rather than a write through LIST_POISON pprev. It missed state_cache and state_cache_input, which kept hlist_del_rcu():

  • hlist_del_rcu() leaves pprev = LIST_POISON2 (non-NULL), so hlist_unhashed() returns false.
  • hlist_del_init_rcu() leaves pprev = NULL, so hlist_unhashed() returns true.

A second __xfrm_state_delete() therefore enters __hlist_del() on the already-deleted state_cache/state_cache_input nodes and does WRITE_ONCE(*pprev, next) through LIST_POISON2 — a write use-after-free once the slab is reused. The corruption can in turn cause a subsequent hlist_for_each_entry_rcu traversal to follow a dangling next pointer, producing the read use-after-free reported in xfrm_input_state_lookup().

Switch state_cache and state_cache_input to hlist_del_init_rcu() to match the other four lists, closing the write use-after-free and, with it, the read use-after-free it spawns.

Product Status

Vendor Linux
Product Linux
Versions Default: unaffected
  • affected from aa48a18fdb0911572d133057cd579db704b87da4 to fb38fb7420d5f7192f9e2b6ac835ede149cd7ac5 (excl.)
  • affected from 0045e3d80613cc7174dc15f189ee6fc4e73b9365 to 4748c27e2e6a1969e02f1df46e62f79d2799b80b (excl.)
  • affected from 0045e3d80613cc7174dc15f189ee6fc4e73b9365 to 9b74a47a4cbd0d29faff4f3b199212c73e6b6220 (excl.)
  • affected from 0045e3d80613cc7174dc15f189ee6fc4e73b9365 to 2afb8dc1f4390f164db8352f8e685e126e9db566 (excl.)
  • Version 5e4334dc39443645415450163ff5ff1ee7e79784 is affected
  • affected from 6.12.13 to 6.12.112 (excl.)
Vendor Linux
Product Linux
Versions Default: affected
  • Version 6.13 is affected
  • unaffected from 0 to 6.13 (excl.)
  • unaffected from 6.12.112 to 6.12.* (incl.)
  • unaffected from 6.18.54 to 6.18.* (incl.)
  • unaffected from 7.2.8 to 7.2.* (incl.)
  • unaffected from 7.3-rc4 to * (incl.)

References