CVE-2026-98543

bpf: fs/xattr: don't assume the inode is locked in path_unlink/path_rmdir

CVE-2026-98543 is fixed in 20 products on 1 platform, first by DEBIAN-CVE-2026-98543, released October 19, 2026. It is not reported as exploited. Patch Radar priority: High.

High
CVSS
7.3
high
Exploitation
None reported
No vendor assessment
CISA KEV
Not listed
Not in the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog
EPSS
0.0015
4th percentile

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: bpf: fs/xattr: don't assume the inode is locked in path_unlink/path_rmdir bpf_lsm_has_d_inode_locked() makes the verifier rewrite bpf_[set|remove]_dentry_xattr() to the _locked variants, which assume that the caller already holds the inode's i_rwsem. The path_unlink and path_rmdir hooks are listed, but security_path_unlink() and security_path_rmdir() run before vfs_unlink()/vfs_rmdir() take the victim inode's i_rwsem, so a sleepable BPF LSM program attached to either hook mutates the victim's xattrs without the lock held. Drop the two path hooks from d_inode_locked_hooks so that the verifier keeps the locking bpf_[set|remove]_dentry_xattr() variants, which take the lock themselves.

Where it's fixed

ProductFixed inFixReleased
Linux
bpftool6.18 · amzn 2023 1:6.18.56-125.164.amzn2023 ALAS2023-2026-3251 Nov 7, 2026
bpftool6.18-debuginfo · amzn 2023 1:6.18.56-125.164.amzn2023 ALAS2023-2026-3251 Nov 7, 2026
kernel-livepatch-6.18.56-125.164 · amzn 2023 1:1.0-0.amzn2023 ALAS2023-2026-3251 Nov 7, 2026
kernel6.18 · amzn 2023 1:6.18.56-125.164.amzn2023 ALAS2023-2026-3251 Nov 7, 2026
kernel6.18-debuginfo · amzn 2023 1:6.18.56-125.164.amzn2023 ALAS2023-2026-3251 Nov 7, 2026
kernel6.18-debuginfo-common-aarch64 · amzn 2023 1:6.18.56-125.164.amzn2023 ALAS2023-2026-3251 Nov 7, 2026
kernel6.18-debuginfo-common-x86_64 · amzn 2023 1:6.18.56-125.164.amzn2023 ALAS2023-2026-3251 Nov 7, 2026
kernel6.18-devel · amzn 2023 1:6.18.56-125.164.amzn2023 ALAS2023-2026-3251 Nov 7, 2026
kernel6.18-headers · amzn 2023 1:6.18.56-125.164.amzn2023 ALAS2023-2026-3251 Nov 7, 2026
kernel6.18-modules-extra · amzn 2023 1:6.18.56-125.164.amzn2023 ALAS2023-2026-3251 Nov 7, 2026
kernel6.18-modules-extra-common · amzn 2023 1:6.18.56-125.164.amzn2023 ALAS2023-2026-3251 Nov 7, 2026
kernel6.18-tools · amzn 2023 1:6.18.56-125.164.amzn2023 ALAS2023-2026-3251 Nov 7, 2026
kernel6.18-tools-debuginfo · amzn 2023 1:6.18.56-125.164.amzn2023 ALAS2023-2026-3251 Nov 7, 2026
kernel6.18-tools-devel · amzn 2023 1:6.18.56-125.164.amzn2023 ALAS2023-2026-3251 Nov 7, 2026
linux · Debian 14 7.2.9-1 DEBIAN-CVE-2026-98543 Oct 19, 2026
microvm-kernel6.18 · amzn 2023 1:6.18.56-125.164.amzn2023 ALAS2023-2026-3251 Nov 7, 2026
perf6.18 · amzn 2023 1:6.18.56-125.164.amzn2023 ALAS2023-2026-3251 Nov 7, 2026
perf6.18-debuginfo · amzn 2023 1:6.18.56-125.164.amzn2023 ALAS2023-2026-3251 Nov 7, 2026
python3-perf6.18 · amzn 2023 1:6.18.56-125.164.amzn2023 ALAS2023-2026-3251 Nov 7, 2026
python3-perf6.18-debuginfo · amzn 2023 1:6.18.56-125.164.amzn2023 ALAS2023-2026-3251 Nov 7, 2026

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