dm: fix a buffer overflow in ioctl processing
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Code execution
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 5 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · NVD. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-787 and the CVSS impact.
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: dm: fix a buffer overflow in ioctl processing Tony Asleson (using Claude) found a buffer overflow in dm-ioctl in the function retrieve_status: 1. The code in retrieve_status checks that the output string fits into the output buffer and writes the output string there 2. Then, the code aligns the "outptr" variable to the next 8-byte boundary: outptr = align_ptr(outptr); 3. The alignment doesn't check overflow, so outptr could point past the buffer end 4. The "for" loop is iterated again, it executes: remaining = len - (outptr - outbuf); 5. If "outptr" points past "outbuf + len", the arithmetics wraps around and the variable "remaining" contains unusually high number 6. With "remaining" being high, the code writes more data past the end of the buffer Luckily, this bug has no security implications because: 1. Only root can issue device mapper ioctls 2. The commonly used libraries that communicate with device mapper (libdevmapper and devicemapper-rs) use buffer size that is aligned to 8 bytes - thus, "outptr = align_ptr(outptr)" can't overshoot the input buffer and the bug can't happen accidentally
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Partial
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 2.6.12 and later | 5.10.258, 5.15.209, 6.1.175, 6.6.140, 6.12.88, 6.18.30, 7.0.7, 7.1 | Patch available | CNA |
- Linux VendorLinux Affected 2.6.12 and later Fixed in 5.10.258, 5.15.209, 6.1.175, 6.6.140, 6.12.88, 6.18.30, 7.0.7, 7.1 Patch available CNA
CPE configurations NVD · 6
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 2.6.12.1 to before 5.10.258; 5.11 to before 5.15.209; 5.16 to before 6.1.175; 6.2 to before 6.6.140; 6.7 to before 6.12.88; 6.13 to before 6.18.30; 6.19 to before 7.0.7 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.6.12:-:*:*:*:*:*:* | 2.6.12 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.6.12:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:* | 2.6.12 rc2 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.6.12:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:* | 2.6.12 rc3 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.6.12:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:* | 2.6.12 rc4 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.6.12:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:* | 2.6.12 rc5 | Vulnerable | Linux |
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 2.6.12.1 to before 5.10.258; 5.11 to before 5.15.209; 5.16 to before 6.1.175; 6.2 to before 6.6.140; 6.7 to before 6.12.88; 6.13 to before 6.18.30; 6.19 to before 7.0.7 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.6.12:-:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 2.6.12 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.6.12:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 2.6.12 rc2 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.6.12:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 2.6.12 rc3 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.6.12:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 2.6.12 rc4 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.6.12:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 2.6.12 rc5 Vulnerable ·Linux
Remediation
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.10.258, 5.15.209, 6.1.175, 6.6.140, 6.12.88, 6.18.30, 7.0.7, 7.1
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 | Affected | No fix yet |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 | Affected | No fix planned: Out of support scope |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | Affected | No fix yet |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | Affected | No fix yet |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | Affected | No fix yet |
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-46294
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-c9hh-9962-q529
- 2026-11-06 CISA SSVC decision points changed
References
Patch 8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c8c5311237448f6ffeecc9aec2362e3692623668
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/448ee8fb79c26a26599ffa4b2adeb4322d3d3d8c
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/526ff9126a0ae087b65726e1faf31114c718020d
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f0b0b09d9840838ae77ccdd6a62de0daef4e6e0a
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d271631023cbe1cbe7c31a0275ab797883be6e0a
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5af6a879e915ae7bcd83695c316ebb32e1c61bc2
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8daa6c708ef524089ae43f2aed9190acb26d7df8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2fa49cc884f6496a915c35621ba4da35649bf159
More Linux Kernel vulnerabilities
- TI-2025-26358 tls: fix handling of zero-length records on the rx_list KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2026-38352 netfilter: bridge: make ebt_snat ARP rewrite writable KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2013-05264 The (1) get_user and (2) put_user API functions in the Linux kernel before 3.5.5 on the… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2022-00125 Integer overflow in kernel KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
- TI-2013-01864 The perf_swevent_init function in kernel/events/core.c in the Linux kernel before 3.8.9… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
- TI-2021-05514 Heap Out-Of-Bounds Write in Netfilter IP6T_SO_SET_REPLACE KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.3
Sources
- CVE-2026-46294 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-46294 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-c9hh-9962-q529 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-46294 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences