# CVE-2026-98723: nvmet: copy the hostid into the ctrl before creating PR pc_refs

CVE-2026-98723 is fixed in linux on 1 platform by DEBIAN-CVE-2026-98723 (version 7.2.10-1), released October 19, 2026. It is not reported as exploited. Patch Radar priority: Routine.

- Web page: https://patchblox.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-98723
- Priority: Routine
- CVSS: n/a
- EPSS: 0.0020
- CISA KEV: not listed
- Exploited (vendor report): no
- Publicly disclosed: no
- Published: Oct 18, 2026
- Vendor advisory: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-98723

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:  nvmet: copy the hostid into the ctrl before creating PR pc_refs  Commit 6202783184bf ("nvmet: Improve nvmet_alloc_ctrl() interface and implementation") added a second uuid_copy() of args->hostid near the end of nvmet_alloc_ctrl(), and commit 7b658153f1b8 ("nvmet: Remove duplicate uuid_copy") removed the original copy that sat before nvmet_ctrl_init_pr() instead of the new one.  Since then nvmet_ctrl_init_pr() snapshots ctrl->hostid into the per-controller per-namespace reservation refs while the uuid_copy() from the connect data runs later, after the controller is published. The ctrl is allocated with kzalloc(), so every pc_ref created on this path stores the nil UUID.  pc_ref->hostid has a single consumer: nvmet_pr_set_ctrl_to_abort() matches it against the preempted registrant's hostid to kill and drain the victim's in-flight I/O for Preempt and Abort.  The match can never hit with the nil UUID, so whenever a namespace with reservations enabled exists before a host connects, which includes every reconnect, Preempt and Abort silently degrades into a plain Preempt: the preempting host sees success while the victim's in-flight I/O is still in the air.  Copy the hostid where the rest of the connect data is consumed, before the controller is published and before nvmet_ctrl_init_pr() takes its snapshot.

## Where it's fixed

| Platform | Product | Fixed in | Fix | Released |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | linux Debian 14 | 7.2.10-1 | [DEBIAN-CVE-2026-98723](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/debian-cve-2026-98723.md) | Oct 19, 2026 |

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Data as of 2026-11-08T13:06:02Z UTC. Source: Patchblox Patch Radar (https://patchblox.com/security/patch-radar). Patchblox finds out-of-date software on Windows, macOS and Linux and updates it through release rings: https://patchblox.com/demo

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