---
id: "CVE-2026-98792"
kind: "vulnerability"
aliases: ["CVE-2026-98792"]
title: "Linux kernel netfilter flowtable: race between garbage collection and stats offload"
severity: "unknown"
cvss: null
epss: null
exploited: false
status: "open"
category: "infrastructure"
products: []
ecosystems: []
tags: ["firewalls", "infrastructure", "linux-kernel", "netfilter", "routers"]
not_affected_if: ["no-flowtable-offload"]
published_at: "2026-10-18T16:17:33+00:00"
first_seen_at: "2026-10-23T21:57:16+00:00"
updated_at: "2026-10-25T05:15:12+00:00"
sources: [{"source": "nvd", "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98792", "first_seen_at": "2026-10-23T21:57:16+00:00"}]
---

# Linux kernel netfilter flowtable: race between garbage collection and stats offload

A race in the Linux kernel's netfilter flowtable code lets the garbage collector remove a flow while a hardware offload stats worker is still pending for it. The sources do not describe a confirmed attacker outcome.

_Summary, check and fix written by a model from the sources; labelled as such._

## How to check

- unknown

## Fix

- unknown

## Timeline

- 2026-10-23T21:57:16+00:00 nvd https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98792

## From the sources

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

netfilter: flowtable: generalize pending status bit

Rename NF_FLOW_HW_PENDING to NF_FLOW_PENDING and use it to inhibit the
flowtable GC worker until pending hw offload work has been completed.

Apparently, nf_flow_offload_stats() can schedule work to retrieve stats
while the flow is being removed by GC.

And this bit can also be used in a follow up patch to disable GC until
the flow has been fully added in both directions.

Revert the reordering done in commit d644b23afe1e ("netfilter:
flowtable: publish HW_DEAD after worker is done") to prevent a race
between GC and hw offload handler.

---

_Free to read at a human pace. An API with keys and an MCP server are in preparation; early access: hello@infrastack.ai_