Linux kernel block layer mishandles polled direct I/O with metadata
Key facts
- Attack vector
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- Privileges required
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- User interaction
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- Attack complexity
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- Impact type
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- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
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- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 4 without a fix
No CVSS vector from any source. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.
Summary
The Linux kernel versions from 6.16.8 before 6.17 and from 6.17 are affected. In io_uring polled I/O, a user metadata structure is passed where a bio is expected, so the kernel dereferences a null pointer. A user who issues polled I/O with user integrity metadata on an integrity device can trigger a kernel fault.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-06
Description from the CNA
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: block: reject polled dio with user integrity metadata IOCB_HAS_METADATA leaves iocb->private as a uio_meta, while iocb_bio_iopoll() expects a bio. Since 2729a60bbfb9, metadata I/O always uses __blkdev_direct_IO(), which never publishes the bio for polling, so IOPOLL calls bio_poll() on the uio_meta. Reproducer: io_uring IOPOLL plus a PI attribute on an integrity device (scsi_debug dif=1 dix=1). KASAN reports: Oops: general protection fault, probably for non-canonical address 0xdffffc0000000004 KASAN: null-ptr-deref in range [0x0000000000000020-0x0000000000000027] RIP: 0010:bio_poll+0x9d/0x4b0 Call Trace: iocb_bio_iopoll+0x5b/0x80 io_uring_classic_poll+0xf3/0x140 io_do_iopoll+0x4e3/0xc00 io_iopoll_check+0x275/0x560 __do_sys_io_uring_enter+0x2e5/0x720 Return -EOPNOTSUPP when HIPRI is combined with user metadata.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
Remediation
The Linux kernel fixed releases 6.17, 6.18.56, 7.2.10 and 7.3 contain the fix. Red Hat lists no available fix for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 and 10 and Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 and 5.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-06
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 6.17
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 6.18.56, 7.2.10, 7.3
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 5 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
Not affected: 5 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
- Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4
Timeline
- 2026-10-18 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-98821
- 2026-10-18 Alias added: GHSA-4mqf-mrhr-h3rh
- 2026-10-19 Fix available: Linux/[email protected] · CNA
- 2026-10-24 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-24 CVSS score added · Red Hat
- 2026-11-06 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
References
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Sources
- CVE-2026-98821 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-98821 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-4mqf-mrhr-h3rh · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-98821 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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