CVE-2026-98712 KVM: arm64: vgic: Take a refcount on IRQs referenced by last_lr_irq
A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's KVM arm64 VGIC allows local attackers to cause denial of service or escalate privileges.
- 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
What is CVE-2026-98712?
CVE-2026-98712 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:
KVM: arm64: vgic: Take a refcount on IRQs referenced by last_lr_irq
Referencing the last interrupt inserted in an LR is rather fragile, as this interrupt can vanish if a concurrently unmapped LPI.
Solve this by bumping up the refcount on the interrupt when populating last_lr_irq, and drop it at vgic_prune_ap_list() time, when LPIs are being reclaimed.
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-98712?
How do I fix CVE-2026-98712?
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-2026-98712 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-98712 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as DEBIAN-CVE-2026-98712, GHSA-fqwg-6qxx-rx2q, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-98712.