{
    "dataType": "CVE_RECORD",
    "dataVersion": "5.2",
    "cveMetadata": {
        "cveId": "CVE-2026-98851",
        "assignerOrgId": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
        "state": "PUBLISHED",
        "assignerShortName": "Linux",
        "dateReserved": "2026-09-25T10:25:14.376Z",
        "datePublished": "2026-10-18T15:50:50.910Z",
        "dateUpdated": "2026-10-21T12:57:30.875Z"
    },
    "containers": {
        "cna": {
            "providerMetadata": {
                "orgId": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
                "shortName": "Linux",
                "dateUpdated": "2026-10-21T12:57:30.875Z"
            },
            "descriptions": [
                {
                    "lang": "en",
                    "value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nnetfilter: nft_flow_offload: drop flowtable reference on init error path\n\nnft_flow_offload_init() bumps the flowtable use count with\nnft_use_inc() before calling nf_ct_netns_get().  When the latter\nfails, the error is returned as-is and the reference is leaked.\n\nThe upper layers do not balance it either: nf_tables_newexpr()\nclears expr->ops when the expression init callback fails, so the\nnft_expr_more() iteration in nft_rule_expr_deactivate() and\nnf_tables_rule_destroy() stops right before the failed expression\nand its ->destroy callback, which would drop the reference, never\nruns.\n\nEach failed rule addition therefore leaks one flowtable reference\nand the flowtable can no longer be removed: NFT_MSG_DELFLOWTABLE\nkeeps reporting -EBUSY even though no rule references it.\n\nSave the nf_ct_netns_get() return value and undo the nft_use_inc()\nwhen it fails, restoring the inc/dec pairing within\nnft_flow_offload_init() itself."
                }
            ],
            "affected": [
                {
                    "product": "Linux",
                    "vendor": "Linux",
                    "defaultStatus": "unaffected",
                    "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
                    "programFiles": [
                        "net/netfilter/nft_flow_offload.c"
                    ],
                    "versions": [
                        {
                            "version": "a3c90f7a2323b331ae816d5b0633e68148e25d04",
                            "lessThan": "1d27214fd9a4d2c0c6d998fc9d4fb61448a3438e",
                            "status": "affected",
                            "versionType": "git"
                        },
                        {
                            "version": "a3c90f7a2323b331ae816d5b0633e68148e25d04",
                            "lessThan": "64ac0cb574c740bf723affb79b646eeba920db6b",
                            "status": "affected",
                            "versionType": "git"
                        },
                        {
                            "version": "a3c90f7a2323b331ae816d5b0633e68148e25d04",
                            "lessThan": "c5f91098edee98c015f78488460a0609e62582a5",
                            "status": "affected",
                            "versionType": "git"
                        },
                        {
                            "version": "a3c90f7a2323b331ae816d5b0633e68148e25d04",
                            "lessThan": "4cd378423a33194a773c267fc58606d28fce95cf",
                            "status": "affected",
                            "versionType": "git"
                        },
                        {
                            "version": "a3c90f7a2323b331ae816d5b0633e68148e25d04",
                            "lessThan": "747928b5d4ff8c8de55138a54c13980e4bb88578",
                            "status": "affected",
                            "versionType": "git"
                        }
                    ]
                },
                {
                    "product": "Linux",
                    "vendor": "Linux",
                    "defaultStatus": "affected",
                    "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
                    "programFiles": [
                        "net/netfilter/nft_flow_offload.c"
                    ],
                    "versions": [
                        {
                            "version": "4.16",
                            "status": "affected"
                        },
                        {
                            "version": "0",
                            "lessThan": "4.16",
                            "status": "unaffected",
                            "versionType": "semver"
                        },
                        {
                            "version": "6.6.160",
                            "lessThanOrEqual": "6.6.*",
                            "status": "unaffected",
                            "versionType": "semver"
                        },
                        {
                            "version": "6.12.113",
                            "lessThanOrEqual": "6.12.*",
                            "status": "unaffected",
                            "versionType": "semver"
                        },
                        {
                            "version": "6.18.56",
                            "lessThanOrEqual": "6.18.*",
                            "status": "unaffected",
                            "versionType": "semver"
                        },
                        {
                            "version": "7.2.10",
                            "lessThanOrEqual": "7.2.*",
                            "status": "unaffected",
                            "versionType": "semver"
                        },
                        {
                            "version": "7.3",
                            "lessThanOrEqual": "*",
                            "status": "unaffected",
                            "versionType": "original_commit_for_fix"
                        }
                    ]
                }
            ],
            "cpeApplicability": [
                {
                    "nodes": [
                        {
                            "operator": "OR",
                            "negate": false,
                            "cpeMatch": [
                                {
                                    "vulnerable": true,
                                    "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                                    "versionStartIncluding": "4.16",
                                    "versionEndExcluding": "6.6.160"
                                },
                                {
                                    "vulnerable": true,
                                    "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                                    "versionStartIncluding": "4.16",
                                    "versionEndExcluding": "6.12.113"
                                },
                                {
                                    "vulnerable": true,
                                    "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                                    "versionStartIncluding": "4.16",
                                    "versionEndExcluding": "6.18.56"
                                },
                                {
                                    "vulnerable": true,
                                    "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                                    "versionStartIncluding": "4.16",
                                    "versionEndExcluding": "7.2.10"
                                },
                                {
                                    "vulnerable": true,
                                    "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                                    "versionStartIncluding": "4.16",
                                    "versionEndExcluding": "7.3"
                                }
                            ]
                        }
                    ]
                }
            ],
            "references": [
                {
                    "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1d27214fd9a4d2c0c6d998fc9d4fb61448a3438e"
                },
                {
                    "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/64ac0cb574c740bf723affb79b646eeba920db6b"
                },
                {
                    "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c5f91098edee98c015f78488460a0609e62582a5"
                },
                {
                    "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4cd378423a33194a773c267fc58606d28fce95cf"
                },
                {
                    "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/747928b5d4ff8c8de55138a54c13980e4bb88578"
                }
            ],
            "title": "netfilter: nft_flow_offload: drop flowtable reference on init error path",
            "x_generator": {
                "engine": "bippy-1.2.0"
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        }
    }
}