Port range register leak in Linux kernel mlxsw flower template creation
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: 5 without a fix
No CVSS vector from any source. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.
Summary
The Linux kernel from 6.6 contains a resource leak in the mlxsw driver's flower classifier. The function mlxsw_sp_flower_tmplt_create() parses a template into a local rule structure that is never released, so port range registers acquired during parsing are never freed, including when chain templates are deleted.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-07
Description from the CNA
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mlxsw: spectrum_flower: Fix port range register leak in tmplt_create() mlxsw_sp_flower_tmplt_create() parses a flow_cls_offload template into a stack-local struct mlxsw_sp_acl_rule_info purely to compute rulei.values.elusage. Parsing can acquire port range registers via mlxsw_sp_flower_parse_ports_range(), but since this rulei never goes through mlxsw_sp_acl_rulei_destroy(), those registers were never released, including through chain template deletion. Factor out of mlxsw_sp_acl_rulei_destroy() the code to actually release the necessary resources and call from mlxsw_sp_flower_tmplt_create() to plug the leak. The issue was found during a review of Wentao Liang's patch referenced below.
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 is fixed in 6.6.160, 6.12.113, 6.18.57, 7.2.11 and 7.3. Red Hat lists Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9, Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 and Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 5 as affected without a fix, with the plan none available, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 with the plan no fix planned.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-07
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 6.6.160, 6.12.113, 6.18.57, 7.2.11, 7.3
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Low. 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 6 | Affected | No fix planned: Out of support scope |
| 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: 4 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
- Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4
Timeline
- 2026-10-23 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-98948
- 2026-10-23 Alias added: GHSA-q8hc-4jgv-gvh5
- 2026-10-29 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-29 CVSS score added · Red Hat
- 2026-11-07 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
References
Other 5
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/41ad5bcf0219aaebf8ffb052c5e8177479330cde
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c8e934287debb29c6ded86b21e49fc72e186d15e
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3938430f0237c59ca08d6a366e7657b2b7f8d0bb
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4eaf1285b5c1e42f80e47f9fe0d391e70418db02
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7ea07afb230f1342ab0f9365edd0aae137f425d3
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Sources
- CVE-2026-98948 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-98948 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-q8hc-4jgv-gvh5 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-98948 · 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