CVE-2026-98851 Vulnerability Analysis & Exploit Details

CVE-2026-98851
Vulnerability Scoring

Analysis In Progress
Analysis In Progress

Attack Complexity Details

  • Attack Complexity:
    Attack Complexity Analysis In Progress
  • Attack Vector:
    Attack Vector Under Analysis
  • Privileges Required: None
    No authentication is required for exploitation.
  • Scope:
    Impact is confined to the initially vulnerable component.
  • User Interaction: None
    No user interaction is necessary for exploitation.

CVE-2026-98851 Details

Status: Received on 18 Oct 2026, 16:17 UTC

Published on: 18 Oct 2026, 16:17 UTC

CVSS Release:

CVE-2026-98851 Vulnerability Summary

CVE-2026-98851: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netfilter: nft_flow_offload: drop flowtable reference on init error path nft_flow_offload_init() bumps the flowtable use count with nft_use_inc() before calling nf_ct_netns_get(). When the latter fails, the error is returned as-is and the reference is leaked. The upper layers do not balance it either: nf_tables_newexpr() clears expr->ops when the expression init callback fails, so the nft_expr_more() iteration in nft_rule_expr_deactivate() and nf_tables_rule_destroy() stops right before the failed expression and its ->destroy callback, which would drop the reference, never runs. Each failed rule addition therefore leaks one flowtable reference and the flowtable can no longer be removed: NFT_MSG_DELFLOWTABLE keeps reporting -EBUSY even though no rule references it. Save the nf_ct_netns_get() return value and undo the nft_use_inc() when it fails, restoring the inc/dec pairing within nft_flow_offload_init() itself.

Assessing the Risk of CVE-2026-98851

Access Complexity Graph

The exploitability of CVE-2026-98851 depends on two key factors: attack complexity (the level of effort required to execute an exploit) and privileges required (the access level an attacker needs).

Exploitability Analysis for CVE-2026-98851

No exploitability data is available for CVE-2026-98851.

Understanding AC and PR

A lower complexity and fewer privilege requirements make exploitation easier. Security teams should evaluate these aspects to determine the urgency of mitigation strategies, such as patch management and access control policies.

Attack Complexity (AC) measures the difficulty in executing an exploit. A high AC means that specific conditions must be met, making an attack more challenging, while a low AC means the vulnerability can be exploited with minimal effort.

Privileges Required (PR) determine the level of system access necessary for an attack. Vulnerabilities requiring no privileges are more accessible to attackers, whereas high privilege requirements limit exploitation to authorized users with elevated access.

CVSS Score Breakdown Chart

Above is the CVSS Sub-score Breakdown for CVE-2026-98851, illustrating how Base, Impact, and Exploitability factors combine to form the overall severity rating. A higher sub-score typically indicates a more severe or easier-to-exploit vulnerability.

CIA Impact Analysis

Below is the Impact Analysis for CVE-2026-98851, showing how Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability might be affected if the vulnerability is exploited. Higher values usually signal greater potential damage.

  • Confidentiality: None
    CVE-2026-98851 does not compromise confidentiality.
  • Integrity: None
    CVE-2026-98851 does not impact data integrity.
  • Availability: None
    CVE-2026-98851 does not affect system availability.

CVE-2026-98851 References

External References

CWE Common Weakness Enumeration

Unknown

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