0.0
NA
CVE-2026-97616
net/sched: act_api: release all action references on NEWACTION failure
Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/sched: act_api: release all action references on NEWACTION failure When a batched RTM_NEWACTION request replaces an existing action, tcf_idr_check_alloc() takes a temporary reference on it. If a later action fails to initialize, tcf_action_destroy() uses strict release semantics to clean up the actions initialized so far. For an action bound to a filter, the strict check returns -EPERM without dropping the temporary reference. This error also makes tcf_action_destroy() return before releasing subsequent entries. Any new action initialized between the bound action and the failing entry is leaked together with its reserved IDR slot, preventing reuse of its index. Use tcf_idr_release() to drop each reference held by the batch without rejecting bound actions. This allows cleanup to continue through all initialized entries and preserves the module reference release when an action is destroyed. Explicit action deletion and flushing retain their separate bind-count checks.

INFO

Published Date :

Sept. 25, 2026, 11:17 a.m.

Last Modified :

Sept. 25, 2026, 11:17 a.m.

Remotely Exploit :

No

Source :

416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
Affected Products

The following products are affected by CVE-2026-97616 vulnerability. Even if cvefeed.io is aware of the exact versions of the products that are affected, the information is not represented in the table below.

ID Vendor Product Action
1 Linux linux_kernel
Solution
Apply kernel updates to fix action reference handling and prevent resource leaks.
  • Update the Linux kernel to the latest version.
  • Reboot the system after updating.
  • Verify that action IDs are no longer leaked.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration

While CVE identifies specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-97616 is associated with the following CWEs:

Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)

Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC) stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2026-97616 weaknesses.

We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).

Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.

The following list is the news that have been mention CVE-2026-97616 vulnerability anywhere in the article.

The following table lists the changes that have been made to the CVE-2026-97616 vulnerability over time.

Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.

  • New CVE Received by 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67

    Sep. 25, 2026

    Action Type Old Value New Value
    Added Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/sched: act_api: release all action references on NEWACTION failure When a batched RTM_NEWACTION request replaces an existing action, tcf_idr_check_alloc() takes a temporary reference on it. If a later action fails to initialize, tcf_action_destroy() uses strict release semantics to clean up the actions initialized so far. For an action bound to a filter, the strict check returns -EPERM without dropping the temporary reference. This error also makes tcf_action_destroy() return before releasing subsequent entries. Any new action initialized between the bound action and the failing entry is leaked together with its reserved IDR slot, preventing reuse of its index. Use tcf_idr_release() to drop each reference held by the batch without rejecting bound actions. This allows cleanup to continue through all initialized entries and preserves the module reference release when an action is destroyed. Explicit action deletion and flushing retain their separate bind-count checks.
    Added Affected New affected value received. <a href="https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/blob/main/cves/2026/97xxx/CVE-2026-97616.json">CVE-2026-97616</a>
    Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/048617743febf6530111cfb594e9bbbd7918bf67
    Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/478eb5abb51931a152abab068f8a717b7ff480fd
    Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/64b36eaef6ea5ada9aea4c2cf87099aaa8a4869b
    Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f908c8a969946a45225fd7f9d9a85771e12ae0a8
EPSS is a daily estimate of the probability of exploitation activity being observed over the next 30 days. Following chart shows the EPSS score history of the vulnerability.