# CVE-2026-98285: Linux kernel bridge VLAN deletion NULL pointer dereference

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-98285-in-the-linux-kernel-the-following-vulnerability-has-been-resolved  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-10-06. Updated: 2026-10-06  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-98285 · Severity: info · Published 2026-10-06

The Linux kernel's network bridge code could experience a crash when deleting virtual LANs if the underlying switchdev hardware driver fails. This is a local denial-of-service issue that can disrupt network connectivity on systems using bridged networks.

Technologies: [Unknown Linux kernel](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/unknown-linux-kernel). Vendors: [Unknown](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/unknown).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-98285 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-98285 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-98285?** Informational severity, published 6 October 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Unknown Linux kernel affected by commits bf361ad38165, 5454f5c28eca, 2594e9064a57, 9c86ce2c1ae3 and related branches.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-98285?** A patch was published on 2026-09-15. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2026-98285 attacked?** It is attacked with local access, in an operating system.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-98285?** Check whether you run Unknown Linux kernel at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## Technical details

The __vlan_del() function in net/bridge/br_vlan.c was changed from returning an error code to void, logging switchdev deletion failures and continuing with software deletion rather than aborting. Previously, switchdev errors could leave the bridge in an inconsistent state, cause memory leaks during VLAN flushing, or trigger a NULL pointer dereference. The fix makes switchdev deletion failures non-fatal and consistent with 8021q behavior.

## Affected products

- <UNKNOWN> Linux kernel affected by commits bf361ad38165, 5454f5c28eca, 2594e9064a57, 9c86ce2c1ae3 and related branches

## Timeline

- 2026-10-06: disclosed
- 2026-09-15: patched

## References

- [https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2842ce397dd09882530b42f7fdb0c855767eb24e](https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2842ce397dd09882530b42f7fdb0c855767eb24e)
- [https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ed3ea86db736a30bebf49b947c42730e8451bcd2](https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ed3ea86db736a30bebf49b947c42730e8451bcd2)

## Related threats

- [Linux kernel netfilter nft_byteorder multi-register bypass](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-99285-in-the-linux-kernel-the-following-vulnerability-has-been-resolved)
- [Linux kernel GPIO null pointer dereference in shared GPIO lookup](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-99257-in-the-linux-kernel-the-following-vulnerability-has-been-resolved)
- [Linux kernel NTFS race condition in page fault handler](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-99241-in-the-linux-kernel-the-following-vulnerability-has-been-resolved)
- [Linux kernel i915 DMC firmware load address validation bypass](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-99146-in-the-linux-kernel-the-following-vulnerability-has-been-resolved)
- [Linux kernel dm-integrity buffer overflow in inline mode](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-99098-in-the-linux-kernel-the-following-vulnerability-has-been-resolved)