---
id: CVE-2026-98231
title: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  xfrm: serialize state GC with device state flush

  The deferred-device pass in xfrm_dev_state_flush() finds states under
  xfrm_state_dev_gc_lock, but drops the lock befor…
summary: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  xfrm: serialize state GC with device state flush

  The deferred-device pass in xfrm_dev_state_flush() finds states under
  xfrm_state_dev_gc_lock, but drops the lock befor…
severity: none
vendor: Linux
product: Linux
affected:
  - >-
    Linux >= d5f53edd43daf3e6e1633a49c561387f8f99e13f <
    937108dc0258d6ac69926b00bc53598c98986ee1
  - >-
    Linux >= 07b87f9eea0c30675084d50c82532d20168da009 <
    39e41af3653ee45c985190dd97426f318918d201
  - >-
    Linux >= 07b87f9eea0c30675084d50c82532d20168da009 <
    75fc4561772e2f9811abf39ed10443e6f4a4bc6c
  - >-
    Linux >= 07b87f9eea0c30675084d50c82532d20168da009 <
    84e378395494963b1e581cf223a7cbeec8c0e2d6
  - >-
    Linux >= 07b87f9eea0c30675084d50c82532d20168da009 <
    89fefad9f971bc637fb22373078144f2563c4be9
  - Linux 8ecee44464a4926c9bef989a1490b7394785f584
  - Linux >= 6.6.44 < 6.6.158
  - Linux >= 6.10.3 < 6.11
  - Linux 6.11
published: '2026-10-06'
updated: '2026-10-06'
sourceUpdated: '2026-10-06T09:18:10.540'
source: NVD
sourceUrl: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98231'
references:
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/39e41af3653ee45c985190dd97426f318918d201'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/75fc4561772e2f9811abf39ed10443e6f4a4bc6c'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/84e378395494963b1e581cf223a7cbeec8c0e2d6'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/89fefad9f971bc637fb22373078144f2563c4be9'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/937108dc0258d6ac69926b00bc53598c98986ee1'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
tags:
  - nvd
  - cve.org
ingestedAt: '2026-10-06T08:50:17.436Z'
---

## Overview

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

xfrm: serialize state GC with device state flush

The deferred-device pass in xfrm_dev_state_flush() finds states under
xfrm_state_dev_gc_lock, but drops the lock before calling
xfrm_dev_state_free() because the driver callback may sleep.  The device
GC list does not hold an xfrm_state reference, so the state GC worker can
destroy the same state concurrently.

The race can proceed as follows:

  CPU 0                               CPU 1
  find x on the device GC list
  drop xfrm_state_dev_gc_lock
  read x->xso.dev
                                      xfrm_state_gc_destroy(x)
                                      xfrm_dev_state_free(x)
                                      xfrm_state_free(x)
  continue xfrm_dev_state_free(x)

Both paths can invoke the driver callback and drop the device reference.
CPU 0 can also access the xfrm_state after CPU 1 has freed it.

KASAN reported:

  BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in xfrm_dev_state_free+0x24c/0x2a0
  Read of size 8 at addr ffff88810bbaa960 by task poc/102

  Call Trace:
   xfrm_dev_state_free+0x24c/0x2a0
   xfrm_dev_state_flush+0x353/0x400
   xfrm_dev_event+0x26d/0x3a0
   notifier_call_chain+0xc0/0x280
   __dev_notify_flags+0x169/0x250
   netif_change_flags+0xe7/0x160
   dev_change_flags+0x96/0x220
   devinet_ioctl+0x7f4/0x1880

  Allocated by task 87:
   xfrm_state_alloc+0x1e/0x5c0
   xfrm_add_sa+0xe7f/0x5820
   xfrm_user_rcv_msg+0x4f3/0x940

  Freed by task 57:
   kmem_cache_free+0xcb/0x3d0
   xfrm_state_gc_task+0x4a8/0x650
   process_one_work+0x63a/0x1070

Serialize xfrm_state destruction against the deferred-device pass with a
mutex.  Keep xfrm_state_dev_gc_lock limited to list operations and retain
the existing callback and device-reference release ordering.

## Remediation

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