# CVE-2026-98227: memstick: ms_block: destroy io_queue workqueue on removal

> Repeated memstick card insertions leak kernel memory, potentially causing system denial of service.

- **Severity:** Not scored
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 6 Oct 2026
- **Updated:** 19 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-106299, BELL-CVE-2026-98227, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-98227, GHSA-4xvx-jjq9-8pfx, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-98227

## What is CVE-2026-98227?

CVE-2026-98227 is a denial of service vulnerability in Linux, published on 6 Oct 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

memstick: ms_block: destroy io_queue workqueue on removal

msb_init_disk() creates the per-card ordered workqueue msb->io_queue with
alloc_ordered_workqueue(). It is torn down with destroy_workqueue() only
on the init error path; msb_remove() never destroys it. msb_stop() merely
flushes the queue, and neither msb_data_clear() nor put_disk() free it. As
a result every card insert/remove cycle leaks the workqueue and its
kworker, exhausting kernel memory over repeated cycles.

Destroy the workqueue in msb_remove() after the disk has been removed and
the queue drained.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-98227?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-98227?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-98227 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-98227 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-98227 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-98227 is a denial of service vulnerability in Linux, published on 6 Oct 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-98227 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux. 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-2026-98227/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-98227/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-98227
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98227
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-98227

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-98227/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.