medium CVSS 5.5 EPSS 0.11%

CVE-2026-98160·Kernel vulnerability

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: staging: rtl8723bs: fix mismatched free of HalData in rtw_sdio_if1_init() padapter->HalData is allocated via vzalloc(), but incorrectly freed using kfree() in the rtw_sdio_if1_init() error path. Using kfree() to release this vmalloc-backed buffer can lead to memory corruption. Use rtw_hal_data_deinit() to pair the free correctly and free HalData with vfree(). The bug was first flagged by an experimental static analysis tool we are developing for kernel memory-management bugs. Manual inspection confirms that the issue is still present in current mainline. An x86_64 allyesconfig build showed no new warnings. As we do not have suitable RTL8723BS SDIO hardware to test with, no runtime testing was able to be performed.

Severity
medium
Software
Kernel
Fixed in
7.2.6
Published

How likely is exploitation

FIRST's Exploit Prediction Scoring System puts the probability of this CVE being exploited in the next 30 days at 0.11% — higher than 1% of all published CVEs. EPSS is an independent forecast of exploitation, not a severity rating: it says nothing about how much damage a successful attack does, which is what a CVSS score measures.

Affected versions

From: 6.19

Until: 7.2.6

Fixed in: 7.2.6

How to fix this CVE

Update your Linux kernel to version 7.2.6 or later to patch a critical memory management bug in the RTL8723BS SDIO driver. The vulnerability stems from incorrect deallocation of vmalloc-allocated memory using kfree() instead of vfree(), which can cause kernel memory corruption. Apply the latest stable kernel update and reboot your system to resolve this issue.

sudo dnf update kernel kernel-devel

Defensia detects this vulnerability

How to check if you are affected

  1. Check your current kernel version: uname -r | grep -E '^(6\.(19|[2-9]|[0-9]{2})|7\.[0-2]\.[0-5])'
  2. Verify RTL8723BS SDIO driver is loaded: lsmod | grep rtl8723bs
  3. Check kernel logs for memory corruption warnings: dmesg | grep -iE '(memory|corruption|vmalloc|HalData|rtl8723bs)'
  4. Confirm patch applied: grep -r 'rtw_hal_data_deinit' /lib/modules/$(uname -r)/kernel/drivers/staging/rtl8723bs/ 2>/dev/null && echo 'Patched' || echo 'Vulnerable'

FAQ

What is CVE-2026-98160?

This vulnerability is a memory safety bug in the Linux kernel's RTL8723BS SDIO wireless driver where memory allocated via vmalloc() is incorrectly freed with kfree(), leading to potential kernel memory corruption and system instability.

Is CVE-2026-98160 being actively exploited?

No, this vulnerability is not currently being actively exploited in the wild according to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, and no public exploits are available.

What versions of Kernel are affected by CVE-2026-98160?

Kernel versions 6.19 through 7.2.5 are vulnerable. The fix is available in version 7.2.6 and later.

How do I check if my server is vulnerable to CVE-2026-98160?

Run 'uname -r' and verify your kernel version is at least 7.2.6, then check if the RTL8723BS driver is loaded with 'lsmod | grep rtl8723bs'. If you're on an older version and have the driver active, you are vulnerable.

Does Defensia detect CVE-2026-98160?

Yes — Defensia's CVE advisory scanner compares installed package versions against the NVD database. If the Linux kernel is installed on a monitored server, CVE-2026-98160 will appear in your dashboard with remediation steps.

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References

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