CVE-2026-98696 USB: serial: fix driver deregistration order
A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel USB serial driver allows local attackers to execute arbitrary code or escalate privileges during module unloading.
- 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-2026-98696?
CVE-2026-98696 is an use after free vulnerability in Linux, published on 18 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:
USB: serial: fix driver deregistration order
USB serial driver modules register one driver for the USB bus and one or more drivers for the ports on the USB serial bus.
When unloading a driver module, the USB driver must be deregistered before the USB serial bus drivers so that I/O is stopped before unbinding the ports to avoid use-after-free in completion handlers accessing port data.
Note that the "new_id" attributes must first be removed to prevent new ids from being added and triggering a probe of the USB driver after it has been deregistered.
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-98696?
How do I fix CVE-2026-98696?
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-2026-98696 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-98696 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as AZL-108897, BELL-CVE-2026-98696, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-98696, GHSA-7jf2-f6fj-7mgx, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-98696.