Use-after-free in Linux kernel - CVE-2026-98693

Vulnerability identifier: #VU157025

CSH Severity: Medium

CVSS v4: 5.1 [CVSS:4.0/AV:P/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N]

CVE-ID: CVE-2026-98693

CWE-ID: CWE-416

Exploitation vector: Local access

Exploit availability: No public exploit available

The vulnerability allows an attacker with physical access to system to trigger access to freed kernel memory, potentially causing a denial of service.

The vulnerability exists due to use-after-free in the Linux kernel Thunderbolt driver when removing a router while DisplayPort tunnel work remains pending. An attacker with physical access to system can disconnect a cable while a tunnel is waiting for a DPRX capabilities read to finish, causing subsequent HopID releases in tb_path_free() to access freed ID allocators and potentially disrupt kernel operation.

Linux kernel
Ubuntu
linux (Ubuntu package)
linux-realtime (Ubuntu package)
linux-oracle (Ubuntu package)
linux-aws (Ubuntu package)
linux-gcp (Ubuntu package)
linux-azure (Ubuntu package)
linux-raspi (Ubuntu package)
linux-ibm (Ubuntu package)
linux-oracle-7.0 (Ubuntu package)
linux-gcp-7.0 (Ubuntu package)
linux-azure-fde-7.0 (Ubuntu package)
linux-oem-7.0 (Ubuntu package)
linux-gke (Ubuntu package)
linux-azure-fde (Ubuntu package)
linux-aws-7.0 (Ubuntu package)

Install security update from vendor's repository.

linux (Ubuntu package) - update to 7.0.0-43.43
linux-realtime (Ubuntu package) - update to 7.0.0-43.43.1
linux-oracle (Ubuntu package) - update to 7.0.0-1016.18
linux-aws (Ubuntu package) - update to 7.0.0-1017.18
linux-gcp (Ubuntu package) - update to 7.0.0-1017.19
linux-azure (Ubuntu package) - update to 7.0.0-1020.21
linux-raspi (Ubuntu package) - update to 7.0.0-1023.23
linux-ibm (Ubuntu package) - update to 7.0.0-1018.18
linux-oracle-7.0 (Ubuntu package) - update to 7.0.0-1016.18~24.04.1
linux-gcp-7.0 (Ubuntu package) - update to 7.0.0-1017.19~24.04.1
linux-azure-fde-7.0 (Ubuntu package) - update to 7.0.0-1019.19~24.04.1
linux-oem-7.0 (Ubuntu package) - update to 7.0.0-1018.18
linux-gke (Ubuntu package) - update to 7.0.0-1010.11
linux-azure-fde (Ubuntu package) - update to 7.0.0-1019.19
linux-aws-7.0 (Ubuntu package) - update to 7.0.0-1017.18~24.04.1

• https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/032c59c7681c661b63123231824170c025afb7e7
• https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2b5f976119d8f099a03cbf700df3d9c8690fe33d
• https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c444d2c17dc236680324fd989232199680a6c419

• Use-after-free in Linux kernel thunderbolt driver
• Ubuntu update for linux, linux-aws, linux-gcp and more
• Ubuntu update for linux-azure
• Ubuntu update for linux-aws-7.0, linux-azure-fde, linux-azure-fde-7.0 and more
• Ubuntu update for linux-raspi