Unscored severity · published Oct 23, 2026
CVE-2026-98873
netfilter: nf_conntrack_expect: zero at allocation time
New
–
CVSS
0.2%
EPSS
No
On KEV
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
netfilter: nf_conntrack_expect: zero at allocation time
There are occasional LLM hints wrt. leaking uninitialized data to
userspace via ctnetlink. Just zero at allocation time,
expectations are not frequently used these days.
Intentionally keeps _init as-is because we could theoretically
support re-init, so add the missing exp->dir there.
Exploitation
Is it being used?
Exploit prediction (EPSS)0.2% · higher than 7% of CVEs
Exploited in the wildNo evidence yet
CISA KEVNot listed
Ransomware campaign useNot known
Affected products
Which versions
LI
Linux · Linux
076a0ca02644657b13e4af363f487ced2942e9cb before 39cb6ff947c16a576ea68c5f272e634acdcb0085; 076a0ca02644657b13e4af363f487ced2942e9cb before 90545aa07a183887e9d72ce573c18e08f62e2c91; 076a0ca02644657b13e4af363f487ced2942e9cb before 9c11d7ea5ff4dbe162e79f00188814ef5483c295; 076a0ca02644657b13e4af363f487ced2942e9cb before b7f3ee925aee9f1f547d539bc03c35433c238958; 076a0ca02644657b13e4af363f487ced2942e9cb before 824397af7bfe14edad374c64253dae0187ca623d; 076a0ca02644657b13e4af363f487ced2942e9cb before a39ecb856514274c80d0fac4d128dba6b266a8ed; +2 more · source: vendor
References
NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98873
CVE.org
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-98873
git.kernel.org
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/241ccd2fed9051db443aadce248fc0ab30f55e97
git.kernel.org
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/39cb6ff947c16a576ea68c5f272e634acdcb0085
git.kernel.org
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/824397af7bfe14edad374c64253dae0187ca623d
git.kernel.org
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/90545aa07a183887e9d72ce573c18e08f62e2c91
git.kernel.org
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9c11d7ea5ff4dbe162e79f00188814ef5483c295
git.kernel.org
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a39ecb856514274c80d0fac4d128dba6b266a8ed
More from Linux
9.8
CVE-2025-39682
tls: fix handling of zero-length records on the rx_list
8.8
CVE-2026-53266
netfilter: bridge: make ebt_snat ARP rewrite writable
7.8
CVE-2026-53362
ipv6: account for fraggap on the paged allocation path
7.8
CVE-2026-46300
net: skbuff: preserve shared-frag marker during coalescing
7.8
CVE-2026-31431
crypto: algif_aead - Revert to operating out-of-place