netfilter: nft_flow_offload: drop flowtable reference on init error path
CVE-2026-98851 is fixed in 39 products on 1 platform, first by DEBIAN-CVE-2026-98851, released October 19, 2026. It is not reported as exploited. Patch Radar priority: Routine.
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netfilter: nft_flow_offload: drop flowtable reference on init error path nft_flow_offload_init() bumps the flowtable use count with nft_use_inc() before calling nf_ct_netns_get(). When the latter fails, the error is returned as-is and the reference is leaked. The upper layers do not balance it either: nf_tables_newexpr() clears expr->ops when the expression init callback fails, so the nft_expr_more() iteration in nft_rule_expr_deactivate() and nf_tables_rule_destroy() stops right before the failed expression and its ->destroy callback, which would drop the reference, never runs. Each failed rule addition therefore leaks one flowtable reference and the flowtable can no longer be removed: NFT_MSG_DELFLOWTABLE keeps reporting -EBUSY even though no rule references it. Save the nf_ct_netns_get() return value and undo the nft_use_inc() when it fails, restoring the inc/dec pairing within nft_flow_offload_init() itself.
Where it's fixed
| Product | Fixed in | Fix | Released |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | |||
| bpftool6.12 · amzn 2023 | 1:6.12.113-138.209.amzn2023 | ALAS2023-2026-3335 | Nov 7, 2026 |
| bpftool6.12-debuginfo · amzn 2023 | 1:6.12.113-138.209.amzn2023 | ALAS2023-2026-3335 | Nov 7, 2026 |
| 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-6.12.113-138.209 · amzn 2023 | 1:1.0-0.amzn2023 | ALAS2023-2026-3335 | Nov 7, 2026 |
| kernel-livepatch-6.18.56-125.164 · amzn 2023 | 1:1.0-0.amzn2023 | ALAS2023-2026-3251 | Nov 7, 2026 |
| kernel6.12 · amzn 2023 | 1:6.12.113-138.209.amzn2023 | ALAS2023-2026-3335 | Nov 7, 2026 |
| kernel6.12-debuginfo · amzn 2023 | 1:6.12.113-138.209.amzn2023 | ALAS2023-2026-3335 | Nov 7, 2026 |
| kernel6.12-debuginfo-common-aarch64 · amzn 2023 | 1:6.12.113-138.209.amzn2023 | ALAS2023-2026-3335 | Nov 7, 2026 |
| kernel6.12-debuginfo-common-x86_64 · amzn 2023 | 1:6.12.113-138.209.amzn2023 | ALAS2023-2026-3335 | Nov 7, 2026 |
| kernel6.12-devel · amzn 2023 | 1:6.12.113-138.209.amzn2023 | ALAS2023-2026-3335 | Nov 7, 2026 |
| kernel6.12-headers · amzn 2023 | 1:6.12.113-138.209.amzn2023 | ALAS2023-2026-3335 | Nov 7, 2026 |
| kernel6.12-modules-extra · amzn 2023 | 1:6.12.113-138.209.amzn2023 | ALAS2023-2026-3335 | Nov 7, 2026 |
| kernel6.12-modules-extra-common · amzn 2023 | 1:6.12.113-138.209.amzn2023 | ALAS2023-2026-3335 | Nov 7, 2026 |
| kernel6.12-tools · amzn 2023 | 1:6.12.113-138.209.amzn2023 | ALAS2023-2026-3335 | Nov 7, 2026 |
| kernel6.12-tools-debuginfo · amzn 2023 | 1:6.12.113-138.209.amzn2023 | ALAS2023-2026-3335 | Nov 7, 2026 |
| kernel6.12-tools-devel · amzn 2023 | 1:6.12.113-138.209.amzn2023 | ALAS2023-2026-3335 | 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 13.5 (trixie) | 6.12.113-1 | DEBIAN-CVE-2026-98851 | Oct 19, 2026 |
| linux · Debian 14 | 7.2.10-1 | DEBIAN-CVE-2026-98851 | Oct 19, 2026 |
| linux-6.12 · Debian 12.15 (bookworm) | 6.12.113-1~deb12u1 | DEBIAN-CVE-2026-98851 | Oct 19, 2026 |
| microvm-kernel6.18 · amzn 2023 | 1:6.18.56-125.164.amzn2023 | ALAS2023-2026-3251 | Nov 7, 2026 |
| perf6.12 · amzn 2023 | 1:6.12.113-138.209.amzn2023 | ALAS2023-2026-3335 | Nov 7, 2026 |
| perf6.12-debuginfo · amzn 2023 | 1:6.12.113-138.209.amzn2023 | ALAS2023-2026-3335 | 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-perf6.12 · amzn 2023 | 1:6.12.113-138.209.amzn2023 | ALAS2023-2026-3335 | Nov 7, 2026 |
| python3-perf6.12-debuginfo · amzn 2023 | 1:6.12.113-138.209.amzn2023 | ALAS2023-2026-3335 | 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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