---
title: "CVE-2026-98251: Linux Kernel openvswitch - Use After Free"
description: "Linux kernel openvswitch contains a use-after-free vulnerability caused by reallocating confirmed conntrack labels in ovs_ct_get_conn_labels(), letting concurrent CPU access cause memory corruption, exploit requires concurrent access to conntrack entries."
url: https://panop.io/threat-heartbeat/CVE-2026-98251/
---

# CVE-2026-98251 Linux Kernel openvswitch - Use After Free

Linux kernel openvswitch contains a use-after-free vulnerability caused by reallocating confirmed conntrack labels in ovs\_ct\_get\_conn\_labels(), letting concurrent CPU access cause memory corruption, exploit requires concurrent access to conntrack entries.

CVSS base score 7.8 /10

High

CISA KEV

Not listed

Public exploit

None known

EPSS

0.14% chance of exploitation in 30 days

[View the NVD record ↗](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98251)

## Details

Type

Use After Free

Impact

Denial Of Service

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Published

6 October 2026

Updated

15 October 2026

## Vendor fix

Update to the latest Linux kernel version with the fix for openvswitch conntrack label handling.

Patching closes this CVE. It does not tell you which of your systems run the affected version, or what else is exposed alongside them.

## References

- [https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98251](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98251)
- [https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d16f089bd700f45d720ce989d5495e1dc3be0cf8](https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d16f089bd700f45d720ce989d5495e1dc3be0cf8)
- [https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/05eab8dced6bf4d3009a6eeee16ddac99047dc83](https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/05eab8dced6bf4d3009a6eeee16ddac99047dc83)
- [https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2e6dd889c325abf23821e1459c3ffef59b7f0009](https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2e6dd889c325abf23821e1459c3ffef59b7f0009)
- [https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3f118c8217c109fd13ca61caa301d72c483897ef](https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3f118c8217c109fd13ca61caa301d72c483897ef)
- [https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4371d79ea74407fb992c985b1f94391e35bb8289](https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4371d79ea74407fb992c985b1f94391e35bb8289)
- [https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/579d87ec1e1e85729a6cb2c25961e58beb78640c](https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/579d87ec1e1e85729a6cb2c25961e58beb78640c)
- [https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7ff688aceada1160331a789385ea146f62fbddf7](https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7ff688aceada1160331a789385ea146f62fbddf7)
- [https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8c9fcc6c33950d3db551af664d1fd3d998bfee56](https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8c9fcc6c33950d3db551af664d1fd3d998bfee56)

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## What this record can't tell you

- Whether you run the affected software, and where
- Whether an attacker can actually reach and exploit it
- The misconfigurations that never get a CVE number
- What it would cost the business, ranked into what to fix first

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