fsnotify: fix inode reference leak in fsnotify_recalc_mask()
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- None · None · High
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 2 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · NVD. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: fsnotify: fix inode reference leak in fsnotify_recalc_mask() fsnotify_recalc_mask() fails to handle the return value of __fsnotify_recalc_mask(), which may return an inode pointer that needs to be released via fsnotify_drop_object() when the connector's HAS_IREF flag transitions from set to cleared. This manifests as a hung task with the following call trace: INFO: task umount:1234 blocked for more than 120 seconds. Call Trace: __schedule schedule fsnotify_sb_delete generic_shutdown_super kill_anon_super cleanup_mnt task_work_run do_exit do_group_exit The race window that triggers the iref leak: Thread A (adding mark) Thread B (removing mark) ────────────────────── ──────────────────────── fsnotify_add_mark_locked(): fsnotify_add_mark_list(): spin_lock(conn->lock) add mark_B(evictable) to list spin_unlock(conn->lock) return /* ---- gap: no lock held ---- */ fsnotify_detach_mark(mark_A): spin_lock(mark_A->lock) clear ATTACHED flag on mark_A spin_unlock(mark_A->lock) fsnotify_put_mark(mark_A) fsnotify_recalc_mask(): spin_lock(conn->lock) __fsnotify_recalc_mask(): /* mark_A skipped: ATTACHED cleared */ /* only mark_B(evictable) remains */ want_iref = false has_iref = true /* not yet cleared */ -> HAS_IREF transitions true -> false -> returns inode pointer spin_unlock(conn->lock) /* BUG: return value discarded! * iput() and fsnotify_put_sb_watched_objects() * are never called */ Fix this by deferring the transition true -> false of HAS_IREF flag from fsnotify_recalc_mask() (Thread A) to fsnotify_put_mark() (thread B).
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 | 5.10.220 to before 5.11; 5.15.154 to before 5.16 | 5.11, 5.16 | Patch available | CNA |
| Linux | Linux | 5.19 and later | 6.1.191, 6.6.160, 6.12.91, 6.18.33, 7.0.10, 7.1 | Patch available | CNA |
Remediation
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.11, 5.16
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 6.1.191, 6.6.160, 6.12.91, 6.18.33, 7.0.10, 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: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
Not affected: 4 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-52990
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-mrgj-88f9-5g2f
- 2026-10-21 Fix available: Linux/[email protected], Linux/Linux@926ec3937b28d30c08427053c8d8af7f9e086d82 · CNA
- 2026-10-21 1 new reference · CNA
- 2026-10-29 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-30 Fix available: Linux/[email protected], Linux/Linux@ba4d88bfd58739698a9bd2309659c9cc26acf7f7 · CNA
- 2026-10-30 1 new reference · CNA
- 2026-11-06 CISA SSVC decision points changed
References
Patch 4
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- TI-2021-05514 Heap Out-Of-Bounds Write in Netfilter IP6T_SO_SET_REPLACE KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.3
Sources
- CVE-2026-52990 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-52990 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-mrgj-88f9-5g2f · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-52990 · 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