---
id: CVE-2026-98230
title: |-
  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 b…
summary: |-
  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 b…
severity: none
vendor: Linux
product: Linux
affected:
  - >-
    Linux >= aa48a18fdb0911572d133057cd579db704b87da4 <
    fb38fb7420d5f7192f9e2b6ac835ede149cd7ac5
  - >-
    Linux >= 0045e3d80613cc7174dc15f189ee6fc4e73b9365 <
    4748c27e2e6a1969e02f1df46e62f79d2799b80b
  - >-
    Linux >= 0045e3d80613cc7174dc15f189ee6fc4e73b9365 <
    9b74a47a4cbd0d29faff4f3b199212c73e6b6220
  - >-
    Linux >= 0045e3d80613cc7174dc15f189ee6fc4e73b9365 <
    2afb8dc1f4390f164db8352f8e685e126e9db566
  - Linux 5e4334dc39443645415450163ff5ff1ee7e79784
  - Linux >= 6.12.13 < 6.12.112
  - Linux 6.13
published: '2026-10-06'
updated: '2026-10-06'
sourceUpdated: '2026-10-06T09:18:10.397'
source: NVD
sourceUrl: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98230'
references:
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2afb8dc1f4390f164db8352f8e685e126e9db566'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4748c27e2e6a1969e02f1df46e62f79d2799b80b'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9b74a47a4cbd0d29faff4f3b199212c73e6b6220'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fb38fb7420d5f7192f9e2b6ac835ede149cd7ac5'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
tags:
  - nvd
  - cve.org
ingestedAt: '2026-10-06T08:50:17.437Z'
---

## Overview

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.

## Remediation

Refer to the linked advisories for vendor-supplied fixes and affected version ranges.