CVE-2026-98854: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: of/overlay: only treat a positive changeset id as registered of_overlay_fdt

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: of/overlay: only treat a positive changeset id as registered of_overlay_fdt_apply() stores

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: of/overlay: only treat a positive changeset id as registered of_overlay_fdt_apply() stores the idr_alloc() return value in ovcs->id before checking it. On failure the stored id is negative, free_overlay_changeset()'s "if (ovcs->id)" check passes, idr_remove() is called with a negative id and list_del() runs on ovcs->ovcs_list, which is not initialized until after the id allocation. An allocation failure at that point dereferences NULL. Make free_overlay_changeset() treat only a strict-positive id as registered. The rest of the function already copes with a partially-initialized ovcs, so the error path stays a plain goto err_free_ovcs.

Description from the National Vulnerability Database, published by 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67

What it means for a small business

Linux is on the computers, phones or browsers your team uses every day. Turn on automatic updates and restart: most of these fixes only take effect after a restart.

How likely is an attack? The Exploit Prediction Scoring System, run by FIRST (the global association of security response teams), puts the odds of this one being exploited in the next 30 days at 0.16%, higher than 4% of CVEs. That’s low, but low isn’t zero, and the odds jump the day someone publishes an exploit. Scored October 29, 2026, updated daily.

Check your own setup

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Server check: what your web server says about itself, and whether that version has known flaws.

Sources

Part of the Huttenlocher Technologies vulnerability database, refreshed twice a day from CISA and the NVD. The title, category and plain-language guidance are ours; check the linked record before acting on a detail. This is general guidance, not a review of your systems.

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