Reference Management Issue in Linux Kernel by Linux Foundation

CVE-2026-98320

What is CVE-2026-98320?

A vulnerability exists within the Linux kernel's netfilter subsystem, where the reference to the conntrack object is released prematurely. The improper handling of references can lead to potential misuse of the conntrack data after it has been freed, especially affecting the flowtable datapath. To address this, it is crucial to maintain the conntrack reference until all flow entries are completely released. Implementation of an rcu_barrier() call during module exit ensures that all pending flow entries are cleared before the module is destroyed, thus mitigating potential risks associated with this oversight.

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