{"id":"CVE-2026-98873","title":"netfilter: nf_conntrack_expect: zero at allocation time","summary":"In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nnetfilter: nf_conntrack_expect: zero at allocation time\n\nThere are occasional LLM hints wrt. leaking uninitialized data to\nuserspace via ctnetlink.  Just zero at alloca…","severity":"none","vendor":"Linux","product":"Linux","affected":["Linux >= 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 < 39cb6ff947c16a576ea68c5f272e634acdcb0085","Linux >= 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 < 90545aa07a183887e9d72ce573c18e08f62e2c91","Linux >= 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 < 9c11d7ea5ff4dbe162e79f00188814ef5483c295","Linux >= 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 < b7f3ee925aee9f1f547d539bc03c35433c238958","Linux >= 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 < 824397af7bfe14edad374c64253dae0187ca623d","Linux >= 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 < a39ecb856514274c80d0fac4d128dba6b266a8ed","Linux >= 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 < 241ccd2fed9051db443aadce248fc0ab30f55e97","Linux < 5.10.271","Linux < 5.15.222","Linux < 6.1.189","Linux < 6.6.158","Linux < 6.12.111","Linux < 6.18.53","Linux (all versions)"],"published":"2026-10-23","updated":"2026-10-23","sourceUpdated":"2026-10-23T11:37:14.109Z","source":"CVEORG","sourceUrl":"https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-98873","references":[{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/39cb6ff947c16a576ea68c5f272e634acdcb0085"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/90545aa07a183887e9d72ce573c18e08f62e2c91"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9c11d7ea5ff4dbe162e79f00188814ef5483c295"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b7f3ee925aee9f1f547d539bc03c35433c238958"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/824397af7bfe14edad374c64253dae0187ca623d"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a39ecb856514274c80d0fac4d128dba6b266a8ed"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/241ccd2fed9051db443aadce248fc0ab30f55e97"}],"tags":["cve.org"],"ingestedAt":"2026-10-23T13:24:55.585Z","slug":"CVE-2026-98873","body":"## Overview\n\nIn the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nnetfilter: nf_conntrack_expect: zero at allocation time\n\nThere are occasional LLM hints wrt. leaking uninitialized data to\nuserspace via ctnetlink.  Just zero at allocation time,\nexpectations are not frequently used these days.\n\nIntentionally keeps _init as-is because we could theoretically\nsupport re-init, so add the missing exp->dir there.\n\n## Affected\n\n- `Linux >= 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 < 39cb6ff947c16a576ea68c5f272e634acdcb0085`\n- `Linux >= 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 < 90545aa07a183887e9d72ce573c18e08f62e2c91`\n- `Linux >= 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 < 9c11d7ea5ff4dbe162e79f00188814ef5483c295`\n- `Linux >= 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 < b7f3ee925aee9f1f547d539bc03c35433c238958`\n- `Linux >= 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 < 824397af7bfe14edad374c64253dae0187ca623d`\n- `Linux >= 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 < a39ecb856514274c80d0fac4d128dba6b266a8ed`\n- `Linux >= 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 < 241ccd2fed9051db443aadce248fc0ab30f55e97`\n- `Linux < 5.10.271`\n- `Linux < 5.15.222`\n- `Linux < 6.1.189`\n- `Linux < 6.6.158`\n- `Linux < 6.12.111`\n- `Linux < 6.18.53`\n- `Linux (all versions)`\n\n## Remediation\n\nRefer to the linked advisories for vendor-supplied fixes and affected version ranges.","depth":"sunlit","depthScore":3,"depthScoreParts":{"impact":2.8,"likelihood":0,"exploitation":0,"ransomware":0},"changes":[]}