9p: skip nlink update in cacheless mode to fix WARN_ON
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA.
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: 9p: skip nlink update in cacheless mode to fix WARN_ON v9fs_dec_count() unconditionally calls drop_nlink() on regular files, even when the inode's nlink is already zero. In cacheless mode the client refetches inode metadata from the server (the source of truth) on every operation, so by the time v9fs_remove() returns, the locally cached nlink may already reflect the post-unlink value: 1. Client initiates unlink, server processes it and sets nlink to 0 2. Client refetches inode metadata (nlink=0) before unlink returns 3. Client's v9fs_remove() completes successfully 4. Client calls v9fs_dec_count() which calls drop_nlink() on nlink=0 This race is easily triggered under heavy unlink workloads, such as stress-ng's unlink stressor, producing the following warning: WARNING: fs/inode.c:417 at drop_nlink+0x4c/0xc8 Call trace: drop_nlink+0x4c/0xc8 v9fs_remove+0x1e0/0x250 [9p] v9fs_vfs_unlink+0x20/0x38 [9p] vfs_unlink+0x13c/0x258 ... In cacheless mode the server is authoritative and the inode is on its way out, so locally adjusting nlink buys nothing. Skip v9fs_dec_count() entirely when neither CACHE_META nor CACHE_LOOSE is set, which both avoids the warning and removes a class of nlink races (two concurrent unlinkers observing nlink > 0 and both calling drop_nlink()) that an nlink == 0 guard alone would only narrow rather than close.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Total
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
Remediation
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.10.266, 5.15.217, 6.1.184, 6.6.145, 6.12.97, 6.18.40, 7.1.5, 7.2
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
Not affected: 5 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
- 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-2026-72170
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-g6rc-qhh9-wvwv
- 2026-10-16 CISA SSVC decision points changed
References
Other 8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6086469f7d469549bfd070348b717a6e43736200
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ab257019cb72f467b55c95384d99c94e3908b928
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4ec4ebe40c82cb4c60756732f6593055d010c59c
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a5a682b016ef5b5384e28f6d652d47a8f8e73d37
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/de79c3f3643841b8659a71958df7cf2a66bfd409
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8d610017c992de705b304d3d727a6e3a86af6149
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8faccac11e1369adddf5d80f4a45af93f13b2e1a
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/574aa0b4799470ac814479f1138d19efe6262255
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Sources
- CVE-2026-72170 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-72170 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-g6rc-qhh9-wvwv · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-72170 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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