CVE-2026-97528 scsi: qla2xxx: Unlink NVMe unsol ctx before freeing on LS reject error
A use-after-free in the qla2xxx NVMe driver allows attackers to cause a kernel panic or list corruption via specific link service reject errors.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Not needed
- Attackable
- Local or same network only
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- Available
What is CVE-2026-97528?
CVE-2026-97528 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux, published on 25 Sep 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Official description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
scsi: qla2xxx: Unlink NVMe unsol ctx before freeing on LS reject error
qla_nvme_xmt_ls_rsp() obtains uctx, which was linked into fcport->unsol_ctx_head by qla2xxx_process_purls_iocb() and is still linked when the NVMe transport calls back to transmit the LS response. On the error (out:) path the function frees uctx with kfree() but never removes it from the list. This leaves a freed node in fcport->unsol_ctx_head: the next list_add_tail() for that fcport writes through the freed node, and a subsequent list_del() can corrupt the list or panic.
Unlink uctx with list_del() before kfree() on the error path, matching the other free sites in qla_nvme_release_lsrsp_cmd_kref() and qla2xxx_process_purls_pkt(). qla2x00_rel_sp() in the failure path only returns the SRB to its pool and does not invoke sp->put_fn, so the out: path is the sole free and uctx is always still linked there.
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-97528?
How do I fix CVE-2026-97528?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Upgrade to the fixed version. These bugs are found with fuzzing and sanitisers and avoided by memory-safe languages. More about Use after free.
Is CVE-2026-97528 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-97528 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as AZL-104436, BELL-CVE-2026-97528, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-97528, GHSA-cw7x-747c-3cx3, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-97528.