CVE-2026-98858 io_uring: fix task_work add use-after-free with SQPOLL
A use-after-free in the Linux kernel's io_uring SQPOLL mode allows local attackers to execute arbitrary code 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-2026-98858?
CVE-2026-98858 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:
io_uring: fix task_work add use-after-free with SQPOLL
For SQPOLL, the sqpoll thread runs task_work off its own list and doesn't need to be told about it, so it can pop and complete a request as soon as mpscq_push() has published it. If that was the last request holding the ring alive, io_ring_exit_work() then frees the ctx, stops the thread, and with it the tctx, while io_req_normal_work_add() is still looking at both after the push:
BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in io_req_normal_work_add+0x439/0x510 Read of size 4 at addr ff11000000ca0000 by task repro/55 (...) BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in queue_work_on+0x25/0x70 Write of size 8 at addr ff11000000c3bd00 by task repro/55
Hold an RCU read lock across the add, like io_req_local_work_add() already does, and have io_ring_exit_work() wait for a grace period for SQPOLL rings as well before freeing the ctx.
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-98858?
How do I fix CVE-2026-98858?
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-2026-98858 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-98858 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as BELL-CVE-2026-98858, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-98858, GHSA-v42g-qm29-227m, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-98858.