CVE-2026-98596
Description
A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's IPv6 networking subsystem. A race condition during network device unregistration can lead to improper reference counting of uncached routes. A local attacker could exploit this flaw to cause an internal resource leak, leading to memory exhaustion and a Denial of Service (DoS).
Statement
This vulnerability is rated as Moderate because exploitation requires local access and precise timing during network interface unregistration, limiting the blast radius to denial of service through memory exhaustion without impacting confidentiality or integrity. A local attacker could trigger repeated device removals in an IPv6 environment to gradually leak kernel route references. Earlier distributions, including Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 and 9, do not include the vulnerable networking code and are not affected.
Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Score Details
Info alert:Important note
CVSS scores for open source components depend on vendor-specific factors (e.g. version or build chain). Therefore, Red Hat's score and impact rating can be different from NVD and other vendors. Red Hat remains the authoritative CVE Naming Authority (CNA) source for its products and services (see Red Hat classifications).
The following CVSS metrics and score provided are preliminary and subject to review.
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 5.5 | N/A | N/A |
| Attack Vector | Local | N/A | N/A |
| Attack Complexity | Low | N/A | N/A |
| Privileges Required | Low | N/A | N/A |
| User Interaction | None | N/A | N/A |
| Scope | Unchanged | N/A | N/A |
| Confidentiality | None | N/A | N/A |
| Integrity Impact | None | N/A | N/A |
| Availability Impact | High | N/A | N/A |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
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