# CVE-2026-98241: ipv6: xfrm: use full sockets in local error paths

> A memory corruption vulnerability in the Linux kernel IPv6 XFRM module allows attackers to read beyond allocated memory or cause crashes via crafted network traffic.

- **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:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 6 Oct 2026
- **Updated:** 19 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-106128, BELL-CVE-2026-98241, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-98241, GHSA-5mfq-x364-3h2r, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-98241

## What is CVE-2026-98241?

CVE-2026-98241 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Linux, published on 6 Oct 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:

ipv6: xfrm: use full sockets in local error paths

xfrm6_local_rxpmtu() and xfrm6_local_error() dereference skb->sk as if it
always pointed at a full IPv6 socket.

That is not guaranteed. TCP SYN-ACK skbs can be owned by a
TCP_NEW_SYN_RECV request_sock while the output path itself is driven by the
full listener. If rerouting selects an IPv6 XFRM tunnel route with a lower
MTU, the local PMTU/error handling path can reach these callbacks with that
mini-socket still attached to the skb.

The callbacks then miscast the request socket as a full inet/IPv6 socket and
can read beyond the request_sock allocation when they access inet_sock or
ipv6_pinfo state.

Resolve the owner with skb_to_full_sk() in both callbacks and bail out when
no full socket is attached. This matches the surrounding XFRM IPv6 PMTU/error
logic, which already reasons about full sockets with skb_to_full_sk().

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-98241?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-98241?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-98241 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-98241 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-98241 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-98241 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Linux, published on 6 Oct 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-2026-98241 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-2026-98241/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-98241/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-98241
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98241
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-98241

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-98241/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.