# CVE-2026-98815: nvme: fix cdev lifetime

CVE-2026-98815 is fixed in linux on 1 platform by DEBIAN-CVE-2026-98815 (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-2026-98815
- Priority: Routine
- CVSS: 6.5 (Moderate)
- 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-2026-98815

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:  nvme: fix cdev lifetime  Sashiko bot reported a potential problem for the cdev lifetime in [0] - the code there is heavily based on the NVMe code.  Currently the NS head .open and .release file_operations methods take and put a reference to the nvme_ns_head to ensure that this structure does not disappear while we open fds for that cdev.  In multipath mode, when we teardown the NS head, we call nvme_cdev_del() -> cdev_device_del() -> cdev_del(). However after cdev_del() returns, cdevs already open will remain and their fops will still be callable. As such, we can still reference the cdev after the nvme_ns_head reference count drops to 0 (and is freed).  This can be shown with an application which delays between opening the cdev and issuing the ioctl while the NS head is being torn down:  # ./ioctl_file /dev/ng1n1 & # waiting 10 seconds ....  # ./ini_nvme_teardown.sh [   21.221718] nvme nvme1: Removing ctrl: NQN "nvme-test-target" [   21.274609] nvme nvme2: Removing ctrl: NQN "nvme-test-target" # now going to issue ioctl .... [   26.549285] ================================================================== [   26.550841] BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in cdev_put.part.0+0x3d/0x40 [   26.552352] Read of size 8 at addr ffff88811e7fa170 by task ioctl_file/237 [   26.553805] [   26.554227] CPU: 3 UID: 0 PID: 237 Comm: ioctl_file Not tainted 7.2.0-rc1-00004-g6852a10e32d4 #921 PREEMPT(lazy) [   26.554236] Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (Q35 + ICH9, 2009), BIOS 1.16.3-debian-1.16.3-2 04/01/2014 [   26.554241] Call Trace: [   26.554245]  <TASK> [   26.554248]  dump_stack_lvl+0x68/0xa0 [   26.554266]  print_report+0x10d/0x5d0 [   26.554276]  ? __virt_addr_valid+0x21d/0x3f0 [   26.554287]  ? cdev_put.part.0+0x3d/0x40 [   26.554292]  kasan_report+0x96/0xd0 [   26.554300]  ? cdev_put.part.0+0x3d/0x40 [   26.554307]  cdev_put.part.0+0x3d/0x40 [   26.554313]  __fput+0x7bc/0xa70 [   26.554322]  fput_close_sync+0xd8/0x190 [   26.554328]  ? __pfx_fput_close_sync+0x10/0x10 [   26.554337]  __x64_sys_close+0x79/0xd0 [   26.554344]  do_syscall_64+0x117/0x6b0 [   26.554351]  entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f [   26.554358] RIP: 0033:0x7f938c067727 [   26.554364] Code: 48 89 fa 4c 89 df e8 28 ad 00 00 8b 93 08 03 00 00 59 5e 48 83 f8 fc 74 1a 5b c3 0f 1f 84 00 00 00 00 00 48 8b 44 24 10 0f 05 <5bf [   26.554369] RSP: 002b:00007fff49f05980 EFLAGS: 00000202 ORIG_RAX: 0000000000000003 [   26.554376] RAX: ffffffffffffffda RBX: 00007f938bfd7780 RCX: 00007f938c067727 [   26.554380] RDX: 0000000000000000 RSI: 0000000000000000 RDI: 0000000000000003 [   26.554383] RBP: 00007fff49f05a10 R08: 0000000000000000 R09: 0000000000000000 [   26.554386] R10: 0000000000000000 R11: 0000000000000202 R12: 0000000000000000 [   26.554389] R13: 00007fff49f05b40 R14: 00007f938c207000 R15: 000055c148471d78 [   26.554397]  </TASK> [   26.554399] [   26.575612] Allocated by task 100: [   26.575871]  kasan_save_stack+0x24/0x50 [   26.576157]  kasan_save_track+0x14/0x30 [   26.576418]  __kasan_kmalloc+0x7f/0x90 [   26.576668]  __kmalloc_noprof+0x281/0x6c0 [   26.576938]  nvme_alloc_ns+0x7f7/0x3170 [   26.577206]  nvme_scan_ns+0x508/0x880 [   26.577449]  async_run_entry_fn+0x8c/0x350 [   26.577723]  process_scheduled_works+0xb6f/0x1a00 [   26.578034]  worker_thread+0x4ad/0xb40 [   26.578283]  kthread+0x34f/0x450 [   26.578501]  ret_from_fork+0x563/0x800 [   26.578752]  ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30 [   26.579012] [   26.579124] Freed by task 237: [   26.579335]  kasan_save_stack+0x24/0x50 [   26.579596]  kasan_save_track+0x14/0x30 [   26.579855]  kasan_save_free_info+0x3a/0x60 [   26.580131]  __kasan_slab_free+0x43/0x70 [   26.580388]  kfree+0x321/0x500 [   26.580591]  nvme_ns_head_chr_release+0x39/0x50 [   26.580883]  __fput+0x352/0xa70 [   26.581095]  fput_close_sync+0xd8/0x190 [   26.581350]  __x64_sys_close+0x79/0xd0 [   26.581595]  do_syscall_64+0x117/0x6b0 [   26.581842]  entry_SYSCAL ---truncated---

## Where it's fixed

| Platform | Product | Fixed in | Fix | Released |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | linux Debian 14 | 7.2.10-1 | [DEBIAN-CVE-2026-98815](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/debian-cve-2026-98815.md) | Oct 19, 2026 |

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Data as of 2026-11-09T19:38:12Z 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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