Double free in Linux kernel device tree overlay property handling
Key facts
- Attack vector
- —
- Privileges required
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- User interaction
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- Attack complexity
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- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
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- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 3 without a fix
No CVSS vector from any source. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.
Summary
The Linux kernel of/overlay code is affected from 5.0 and in ranges from 4.19.49 before 4.20. When adding a property to an overlay changeset fails, the error path frees the property but leaves it linked in the node's deadprops list. Releasing the aborted overlay's node then frees the same property a second time.
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: of/overlay: put property on deadprops only after changeset add succeeds add_changeset_property() links a new property of a not-yet-live target node into the node's deadprops list before handing it to of_changeset_add_property(). If that fails, the error path frees the property but leaves the freed pointer linked in deadprops, and of_node_release() frees it a second time when the aborted overlay's node is released. Record the changeset entry first and link the property into deadprops only on success. of_changeset_add_property() never looks at the node's property lists, so the order of the two steps is otherwise immaterial, and the error path frees a property that nothing references.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
Remediation
Upgrade the Linux kernel to 4.20, 5.10.273, 5.15.224, 6.1.191, 6.6.160, 6.12.113, 6.18.56, 7.2.10 or 7.3. Red Hat lists no available plan for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 or Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-06
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 4.20
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.10.273, 5.15.224, 6.1.191, 6.6.160, 6.12.113, 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 8 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
Not affected: 5 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
- Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4
- Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 5
Timeline
- 2026-10-18 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-98855
- 2026-10-18 Alias added: GHSA-8wm5-mr28-c23r
- 2026-10-19 Fix available: Linux/[email protected] · CNA
- 2026-10-21 Fix available: Linux/[email protected], Linux/Linux@936f1ffcb87a1c50938a21176a6463af162cf4b5 · CNA
- 2026-10-21 1 new reference · CNA
- 2026-10-24 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-24 CVSS score added · Red Hat
- 2026-10-30 Fix available: Linux/Linux@004a0ee2e5315f1245775b369fcb940e8cda3807, Linux/[email protected], Linux/[email protected] +3 · CNA
- 2026-10-30 3 new references · CNA
- 2026-11-06 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
References
Other 8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/004a0ee2e5315f1245775b369fcb940e8cda3807
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f6f70b12ae3e4074e4cd3f42cd66fd482ce7a4b5
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/50c3663790c61648a51f197970f660fd543269a7
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/936f1ffcb87a1c50938a21176a6463af162cf4b5
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d5151496a0a2b19c9c0c7b0ebf86b3de55a8fa3a
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7dc6a769153c0457077a0da4888a00f61e66de15
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5857035a3b53a4e7b5a0d5a740189901ece0b079
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/814f2da6995772c07a7c9c2cc6028b6e3f3ecc9c
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- TI-2013-01864 The perf_swevent_init function in kernel/events/core.c in the Linux kernel before 3.8.9… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
Sources
- CVE-2026-98855 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-98855 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-8wm5-mr28-c23r · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-98855 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences