CVE-2026-98596

/// Technical description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

ipv6: Fix dst leak for uncached routes.

ip6_route_output_flags(), ip6_rt_put_flags(), and ip6_dst_check()

detect an uncached route by list_empty(&rt->dst.rt_uncached),

which replaced the static DST_NOCACHE flag check in commit

a4c2fd7f7891 ("net: remove DST_NOCACHE flag").

When a device is unregistered, rt6_uncached_list_flush_dev()

unlinks uncached routes tied to the device from rt6_uncached_list.

Previously, they were moved to another list with list_move()

(__list_del_entry() + list_add()), and since commit 98aa546af5e4

("inet: remove (struct uncached_list)->quarantine"), the routes

are just unlinked with list_del_init().

If list_del_init() runs concurrently, list_empty() evaluates to

true; ip6_route_output_flags() calls dst_hold_safe() incorrectly

and ip6_rt_put_flags() skips ip6_rt_put(), leaking dst, and thus

dev tied via rt->from as well.

The same race is partially fixed by commit 9a6f0c4d5796 ("dst:

fix ra

/// Remediation

Check the references section for vendor advisories, patches, and mitigation guidance. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.

/// References