# CVE-2026-98806: octeontx2-pf: Fix aura BPID assignment when CONFIG_DCB is enabled

> A null pointer dereference in the octeontx2-pf driver causes a kernel crash when CONFIG_DCB is enabled and SDP VFs are used.

- **Severity:** Not scored
- **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:** 18 Oct 2026
- **Updated:** 19 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2026-98806, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-98806, GHSA-jmhr-qgjx-cxxh, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-98806

## What is CVE-2026-98806?

CVE-2026-98806 is a 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:

octeontx2-pf: Fix aura BPID assignment when CONFIG_DCB is enabled

Previously, BPID assignment under CONFIG_DCB assumed
`queue_to_pfc_map` was always initialized. For SDP VFs this leads to
invalid memory access as it was not initialized.

This patch adds a NULL check for `queue_to_pfc_map` before
dereferencing it. Also, simplifies the logic by always assigning a
default BPID first, then conditionally overriding it if CONFIG_DCB is
enabled and the map exists.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-98806?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-98806?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-98806 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-98806 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-98806 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-98806 is a 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.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-98806 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-2026-98806/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-98806/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-98806
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98806
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-98806

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-98806/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.