Vulnerability · Published Oct 18, 2026 · Assigned by Linux

CVE-2026-98543bpf: fs/xattr: don't assume the inode is locked in path_unlink/path_rmdir

High 7.3

In plain English

A high-severity security flaw in Linux from Linux. There are no confirmed reports of exploitation so far. The chance it is exploited in the next 30 days is estimated at 0.2% (higher than 5% of all known vulnerabilities). Fixed versions are available - upgrade the affected package.

Severity (CVSS 3.1)7.3High
Exploit odds (30 days)0.2%top 95.4% of all CVEs
Exploited in the wildNo reportsnot in CISA KEV
Attack toolingNoneno public tooling known

Official description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: bpf: fs/xattr: don't assume the inode is locked in path_unlink/path_rmdir bpf_lsm_has_d_inode_locked() makes the verifier rewrite bpf_[set|remove]_dentry_xattr() to the _locked variants, which assume that the caller already holds the inode's i_rwsem. The path_unlink and path_rmdir hooks are listed, but security_path_unlink() and security_path_rmdir() run before vfs_unlink()/vfs_rmdir() take the victim inode's i_rwsem, so a sleepable BPF LSM program attached to either hook mutates the victim's xattrs without the lock held. Drop the two path hooks from d_inode_locked_hooks so that the verifier keeps the locking bpf_[set|remove]_dentry_xattr() variants, which take the lock themselves.

Affected packages & fixed versions

EcosystemPackageFixed inAdvisory
Debian:14linux7.2.9-1DEBIAN-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:26.04:LTSlinux7.0.0-42.42UBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-allwinner-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:26.04:LTSlinux-aws7.0.0-1016.17UBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-aws-6.14no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-aws-6.17no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-aws-7.0no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:26.04:LTSlinux-azureno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.14no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.17no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-azure-7.0no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:26.04:LTSlinux-azure-fdeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde-6.14no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde-6.17no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde-7.0no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-azure-nvidia-6.14no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:26.04:LTSlinux-gcp7.0.0-1016.18UBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.14no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.17no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-gcp-7.0no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:26.04:LTSlinux-gkeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-hwe-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.14no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.17no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-hwe-7.07.0.0-42.42~24.04.1UBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:26.04:LTSlinux-ibm7.0.0-1017.17UBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-intel-iot-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:26.04:LTSlinux-nvidiano fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-6.17no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-7.0no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:26.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-bosno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-5.17no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.0no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.1no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.14no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.17no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.8no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:26.04:LTSlinux-oem-7.07.0.0-1017.17UBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:26.04:LTSlinux-oracle7.0.0-1015.16UBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-oracle-6.14no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-oracle-6.17no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oracle-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-oracle-7.0no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:26.04:LTSlinux-raspino fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-raspi-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:26.04:LTSlinux-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-riscvno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-riscvno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:26.04:LTSlinux-riscv7.0.0-42.42.1UBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-riscv-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-riscv-6.14no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-riscv-6.17no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-riscv-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-riscv-7.07.0.0-42.42.1~24.04.1UBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-starfive-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-starfive-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-starfive-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-98543

Affected products (as reported)

VendorProductVersions
Linux Linux 56467292794b800164df20c076c409ac548e56ec – before 7504b677c4370c9e4b153c553ff8831c093b1ff656467292794b800164df20c076c409ac548e56ec – before 640d37fbd34d03af727dbc567f48c0203d1de6b456467292794b800164df20c076c409ac548e56ec – before 35d442ed1f86465e49df3119fb898f985186db13
Linux Linux 6.15

References