# CVE-2026-98117: cachefiles: Fix potential UAF/KASAN warning

> A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel cachefiles subsystem allows local attackers to cause a crash or potentially execute code via tracepoint handling.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 25 Sep 2026
- **Updated:** 19 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2026-98117, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-98117, GHSA-57px-gx57-6w68, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-98117

## What is CVE-2026-98117?

CVE-2026-98117 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, 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:

cachefiles: Fix potential UAF/KASAN warning

Currently, trace_cachefiles_coherency() is being passed a pointer to a
__be64 lain over the coherency data in struct cachefiles_xattr so that it
can display the first 8 bytes.  However, the data is of variable length and
could even be 0 bytes.  This could lead to a UAF or KASAN warning.

Fix this by making sure the buffer has room for at least 8 bytes and that
those 8 bytes are pre-cleared.

Further, those bytes are not 8-byte aligned, so fix the tracepoint to
extract the data as four 2-byte words (they are 2-byte aligned) and
reassemble the __be64.  The compiler will convert this into a single 8-byte
load where the CPU supports it.

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-98117?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-98117?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-98117 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-98117 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel

- [CVE-2026-53266](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53266/): Linux Kernel Out-of-Bounds Write (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-6282](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-6282/): Linux Kernel Improper Input Validation (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2022-0185](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0185/): Linux Kernel Heap-Based Buffer Overflow (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-2094](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-2094/): Linux Kernel Privilege Escalation (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-53362](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53362/): Linux Kernel Unspecified (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-98117 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-98117 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 25 Sep 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-98117 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux kernel. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-98117/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-98117/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-98117
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98117
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-98117

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-98117/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.