CriticalCVE-2026-89970

    Linux Kernel: Use-After-Free (CVE-2026-89970)

    Published Last modified Sources: Debian LTS, SUSE, Msrc Update Guide, Red Hat, CVE.org, Debian, BSI

    What is affected, what to do

    A flaw was found in the `nvmet-auth` component of the Linux kernel. A timing issue during the cleanup of a Submission Queue (SQ) can lead to a use-after-free vulnerability.

    Update Linux Kernel to version 6.1.188, Linux Kernel to version 6.6.157, Linux Kernel to version 6.12.110.

    Affected
    • Linux Kernel lt 6.0..6.1.188
    • Linux Kernel lt 6.2..6.6.157
    • Linux Kernel lt 6.7..6.12.110
    • Linux Kernel lt 6.13..6.18.51
    • Linux Kernel lt 6.19..7.2.5
    Fixed in
    • Linux Kernel 6.1.188
    • Linux Kernel 6.6.157
    • Linux Kernel 6.12.110
    • Linux Kernel 6.18.51
    • Linux Kernel 7.2.5
    • Linux Kernel 7.3

    Not sure whether and how you are affected? Ask a question about this vulnerability

    Metrics

    9.8

    Priority

    XIEM Effective CVSS: highest available CVSS rating from NVD and vendor data.

    Source: Vendor (CNA), CVSS v3

    9.8

    CVSS v3

    Severity Critical on the scale from 0 to 10.

    Source: Debian LTS, SUSE, Msrc Update Guide, Red Hat, CVE.org, Debian, BSI

    0.8 %

    EPSS score

    Low — model estimates < 1% exploitation likelihood.

    Source: FIRST EPSS, percentile 56.4

    Show all metrics
    Severity
    Critical
    Priority (0–325)

    The priority score is a consolidated metric that condenses several individual signals into a single, action-guiding ranking: technical severity (CVSS), exploitation likelihood (EPSS), known-exploited status (KEV) and the context of the affected asset. The aim is to answer the only truly important question in vulnerability management: what first?

    Read in glossary
    102.16 Methodology
    Exploit maturity

    An exploit is code or a technique that specifically uses a concrete vulnerability to force unintended behaviour — such as executing code or escalating privileges. It is the tool that turns a theoretical flaw into a practical attack.

    Read in glossary
    no public PoC known
    XIEM Effective CVSS

    XIEM® is the tiered managed-security operating model from NEOSEC and a registered trademark of NEOSEC GmbH. It extends classic SIEM — the central collection, normalisation and correlation of security-relevant events — with endpoint forensics, network visibility and deception technology, and consolidates them into three building tiers: Sentry, Orchestrate and Command.

    Read in glossary
    9.8 Methodology
    CVSS v3

    CVSS is the globally established, open standard for assessing the technical severity of a vulnerability on a scale from 0 to 10. It describes how easily a flaw can be exploited and what damage it can cause — but not how likely its actual exploitation is. CVSS and the complementary EPSS deliberately answer different questions.

    Read in glossary
    9.8
    EPSS score

    The EPSS score is the absolute model output for an individual vulnerability: the estimated probability of real-world exploitation within the next 30 days, expressed as a value between 0 and 1 (i.e. 0 % to 100 %). A score of 0.42 means „the model estimates a 42 % chance of real-world exploitation within 30 days“.

    Read in glossary
    0.8 %
    Low — model estimates < 1% exploitation likelihood.
    EPSS percentile

    The EPSS percentile is the relative position of a vulnerability within all EPSS-scored CVEs, expressed as a value between 0 and 1. A percentile of 0.90 means „this CVE has a higher EPSS score than 90 % of all other scored CVEs“. Unlike the EPSS score, it is not a probability — but a positioning within a ranking.

    Read in glossary
    56.4
    High — this CVE ranks above the median of all CVEs scored today (rank ≥ 36%).
    KEV status

    The KEV catalogue is a list maintained by the US authority CISA of vulnerabilities for which active exploitation in the wild has been confirmed. It answers not the question „how severe?“ but „is it already being attacked?“ — thereby sharply prioritising patching.

    Read in glossary
    —
    Published

    Detection rules

    No NEOSEC detection rule is available for this vulnerability yet.

    Classification under NIS2 and CRA

    Rule-based classification from exploitation status and severity. It does not replace a case-by-case assessment.

    NIS2

    NIS2 is EU Directive (EU) 2022/2555 to raise the level of cybersecurity across the Union. It substantially broadens obligations compared with the first NIS directive: more sectors, mandatory risk management, staged reporting duties and personal accountability of senior management.

    Read in glossary
    High technical severity: assess and remediate the vulnerability in vulnerability handling under Art. 21(2)(e) NIS2 and document the decision.
    CRA

    The CRA is EU Regulation (EU) 2024/2847 setting horizontal cybersecurity requirements for „products with digital elements“ — from industrial controllers and software to connected consumer devices. For the first time manufacturers must ensure security across the entire product lifecycle, handle vulnerabilities and provide security updates.

    Read in glossary
    From 11.12.2027, Annex I Part II CRA requires manufacturers of affected products with digital elements to handle vulnerabilities without delay and provide security updates.
    ISO/IEC 27001

    ISO/IEC 27001 is the internationally leading standard for an information security management system (ISMS). It describes a risk-based, process-oriented framework to systematically plan, implement, review and improve information security.

    Read in glossary
    Control A.8.8, management of technical vulnerabilities: assess relevance to your systems, plan remediation and keep evidence.

    Description

    A flaw was found in the `nvmet-auth` component of the Linux kernel. A timing issue during the cleanup of a Submission Queue (SQ) can lead to a use-after-free vulnerability. This occurs when a delayed authentication task attempts to access memory that has already been released or repurposed. An attacker could potentially exploit this to cause a system crash (denial of service) or other memory corruption impacts.

    Source: Debian LTS Advisories, suse_csaf, Microsoft Security Update Guide, redhat_csaf, cvelistv5, NVD (NIST), Debian Security Advisories, BSI WID Portal, BSI CSAF

    Affected products

    The following versions are affected. Older releases of the same product line are also vulnerable unless stated otherwise.

    Affected products
    Affected versionsFixed in
    LinuxLinux
    • 6.13 – < 6.18.51
    • 6.19 – < 7.2.5
    • —
    • 6.7 – < 6.12.110
    • 6.2 – < 6.6.157
    • 6.0 – < 6.1.188
    • 6.18.51
    • 7.2.5
    • 7.3
    • 6.12.110
    • 6.6.157
    • 6.1.188

    Vendors and products

    Affected operating systems

    Affected operating systems
    Linuxdebianlinuxbookworm
    Linuxdebianlinuxtrixie
    Linuxdebianlinux-6.12bookworm

    References & sources

    Changes to this CVE

    Who changed this CVE and when: NVD (analysis, affected products, CVSS), the CVE publisher (CNA) and additional providers such as CISA (ADP).

    1. Record modifiedLinux

      1 individual change: Affected versions (publisher)

      Show the original change
      Individual changes of this event as published by NVD
      TypeActionBeforeAfter
      Affected versions (publisher)added
      —
      Affected value modified. <a href="https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/blob/main/cves/2026/89xxx/CVE-2026-89970.json">CVE-2026-89970</a>

      Source identifier: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67

    2. Record modifiedLinux

      CVSS V3.1: AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

      Show the original change
      Individual changes of this event as published by NVD
      TypeActionBeforeAfter
      CVSSadded
      —
      AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

      Source identifier: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67

    3. ReceivedLinux

      Description added or changed

      Show 8 original changes
      Individual changes of this event as published by NVD
      TypeActionBeforeAfter
      Descriptionadded
      —
      In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: nvmet-auth: Synchronize timeout work during SQ teardown nvmet_auth_sq_free() cancels auth_expired_work with cancel_delayed_work(). If the work has already started, cancellation does not wait for the callback. Transport teardown can consequently free or reuse the queue containing struct nvmet_sq while nvmet_auth_expired_work() still accesses that SQ. Add a teardown-specific helper that synchronously drains the delayed work before freeing authentication state, and use it from nvmet_sq_destroy(). Keep the non-synchronous helper for in-band authentication state cleanup, where the SQ owner remains alive.
      Affected versions (publisher)added
      —
      New affected value received. <a href="https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/blob/main/cves/2026/89xxx/CVE-2026-89970.json">CVE-2026-89970</a>
      Referenceadded
      —
      https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/664022fa1c93f4eba09ef5ee02411b9709dd7a93
      Referenceadded
      —
      https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7555ddd60af72df2862dd8f9b730a9848577edda
      Referenceadded
      —
      https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c17c87bde6d6f5252a6a6f0a94b2430164aa28d5
      Referenceadded
      —
      https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c3c126a6142a1335bc8c34a5607c39cf01daf295
      Referenceadded
      —
      https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/eaa948c0e19b1bb2d93262207bca0c3d19cc3406
      Referenceadded
      —
      https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/eb4f9127a2b8a152743f1ee597627e2f69cb54fe

      Source identifier: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67

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