CVE-2026-98775
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
nitro_enclaves: fix use-after-free on SLOT_ALLOC failure
When ne_create_vm_ioctl() fails the SLOT_ALLOC request after anon_inode_getfile() has succeeded, the error path calls fput(enclave_file) and then frees ne_enclave.
In normal userspace context, fput() defers the final __fput() via task_work. ne_enclave_release() therefore runs after ne_enclave has already been freed and dereferences ne_enclave->slot_uid, causing a use-after-free: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in ne_enclave_release.
The enclave has no slot allocated and is not yet linked into the enclaves list on this error path, so ne_enclave_release() is expected to return early when slot_uid is zero. However, reading slot_uid already accesses the freed object.
Read full descriptionShow less
Clear enclave_file->private_data before fput() on the error path. ne_enclave_release() then returns immediately when private_data is NULL, leaving the ioctl error path as the sole owner of ne_enclave. This is safe because the file has not been fd_install()'d yet.
Tested on an AWS EC2 m5.2xlarge with CONFIG_KASAN=y. Without the patch, the reproducer triggers a KASAN slab-use-after-free on every SLOT_ALLOC failure. With the patch, no KASAN report is produced and the SLOT_ALLOC error is still returned. Normal enclave creation and teardown are unaffected.
CVSS
NVD hasn't assigned a CVSS score to this CVE (common since the April 2026 policy change).
Exploitation probability (EPSS)
- Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
- 0.17 %
- Percentile among all scored CVEs
- 6
- Score date
- 10/20/2026
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System, FIRST) estimates how likely a vulnerability is to be exploited in the wild within 30 days. It complements CVSS (impact) and CISA KEV (confirmed exploitation).
Affected technologies (1)
⚠ AI-inferred from the description — NVD hasn't analyzed this CVE yet, these aren't verified CPEs.
References
Show 4 references
Raw JSON (NVD)
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{
"id": "CVE-2026-98775",
"cveTags": [],
"metrics": {},
"affected": [
{
"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
"affectedData": [
{
"repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
"vendor": "Linux",
"product": "Linux",
"versions": [
{
"status": "affected",
"version": "9c8eb50fe9e2bb8a2e725979e052fbf592b6b799",
"lessThan": "466041d14f26dc2babd606a2e85dce08774112a6",
"versionType": "git"
},
{
"status": "affected",
"version": "9c8eb50fe9e2bb8a2e725979e052fbf592b6b799",
"lessThan": "f7fb6c2835ede1b8ad84cf7e78a528a9d0159b84",
"versionType": "git"
},
{
"status": "affected",
"version": "9c8eb50fe9e2bb8a2e725979e052fbf592b6b799",
"lessThan": "43f78b328f3907ca2f7424e15b7e45ffbf9fe21c",
"versionType": "git"
},
{
"status": "affected",
"version": "9c8eb50fe9e2bb8a2e725979e052fbf592b6b799",
"lessThan": "9bc184a2eda8b773c88ecbff934001ad649b9cc1",
"versionType": "git"
}
],
"programFiles": [
"drivers/virt/nitro_enclaves/ne_misc_dev.c"
],
"defaultStatus": "unaffected"
},
{
"repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
"vendor": "Linux",
"product": "Linux",
"versions": [
{
"status": "affected",
"version": "5.10"
},
{
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "0",
"lessThan": "5.10",
"versionType": "semver"
},
{
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "6.12.113",
"versionType": "semver",
"lessThanOrEqual": "6.12.*"
},
{
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "6.18.56",
"versionType": "semver",
"lessThanOrEqual": "6.18.*"
},
{
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "7.2.10",
"versionType": "semver",
"lessThanOrEqual": "7.2.*"
},
{
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "7.3",
"versionType": "original_commit_for_fix",
"lessThanOrEqual": "*"
}
],
"programFiles": [
"drivers/virt/nitro_enclaves/ne_misc_dev.c"
],
"defaultStatus": "affected"
}
]
}
],
"published": "2026-10-18T16:17:31.437",
"references": [
{
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/43f78b328f3907ca2f7424e15b7e45ffbf9fe21c",
"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
},
{
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/466041d14f26dc2babd606a2e85dce08774112a6",
"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
},
{
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9bc184a2eda8b773c88ecbff934001ad649b9cc1",
"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
},
{
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f7fb6c2835ede1b8ad84cf7e78a528a9d0159b84",
"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
}
],
"vulnStatus": "Received",
"descriptions": [
{
"lang": "en",
"value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nnitro_enclaves: fix use-after-free on SLOT_ALLOC failure\n\nWhen ne_create_vm_ioctl() fails the SLOT_ALLOC request after\nanon_inode_getfile() has succeeded, the error path calls\nfput(enclave_file) and then frees ne_enclave.\n\nIn normal userspace context, fput() defers the final __fput() via\ntask_work. ne_enclave_release() therefore runs after ne_enclave has\nalready been freed and dereferences ne_enclave->slot_uid, causing a\nuse-after-free: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in ne_enclave_release.\n\nThe enclave has no slot allocated and is not yet linked into the\nenclaves list on this error path, so ne_enclave_release() is expected\nto return early when slot_uid is zero. However, reading slot_uid\nalready accesses the freed object.\n\nClear enclave_file->private_data before fput() on the error path.\nne_enclave_release() then returns immediately when private_data is\nNULL, leaving the ioctl error path as the sole owner of ne_enclave.\nThis is safe because the file has not been fd_install()'d yet.\n\nTested on an AWS EC2 m5.2xlarge with CONFIG_KASAN=y. Without the\npatch, the reproducer triggers a KASAN slab-use-after-free on every\nSLOT_ALLOC failure. With the patch, no KASAN report is produced and\nthe SLOT_ALLOC error is still returned. Normal enclave creation and\nteardown are unaffected."
}
],
"lastModified": "2026-10-19T10:19:41.597",
"sourceIdentifier": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
}