CVE-2026-98443

A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's XFS file system. Improper pointer handling during the recovery of unlinked files can cause a use-after-free condition, where the operating system attempts to access memory after it has already been freed. A local user capable of mounting a specially crafted file system could exploit this vulnerability during recovery operations, leading to memory corruption or a system crash resulting in a Denial of Service (DoS).

This vulnerability is rated as Moderate for Red Hat Enterprise Linux because exploitation requires local access and elevated administrative privileges (such as CAP_SYS_ADMIN) to mount a crafted filesystem image, restricting the blast radius primarily to a system denial of service. On typical Red Hat deployments, unprivileged users cannot mount arbitrary XFS storage volumes, substantially mitigating direct attack exposure. The defect only triggers under specific filesystem log replay conditions during recovery of unlinked lists, further limiting opportunities for practical exploitation in production environments.

The CVSS score(s) listed for this vulnerability do not reflect the associated product's status, and are included for informational purposes to better understand the severity of this vulnerability.