SUNRPC: pin upper rpc_clnt across the TLS connect_worker
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 12 fixed, 1 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: SUNRPC: pin upper rpc_clnt across the TLS connect_worker The TLS connect path has a use-after-free: nothing pins the upper rpc_clnt across the delayed connect_worker. xs_connect() stores task->tk_client in sock_xprt::clnt as a raw pointer and queues the worker; for TLS-secured transports that worker is xs_tcp_tls_setup_socket(), which reads several fields out of the saved pointer (cl_timeout, cl_program, cl_prog, cl_vers, cl_cred, cl_stats) to construct the args for the inner handshake rpc_clnt. The xprt does not reference the rpc_clnt; the rpc_clnt references the xprt. xs_destroy() does cancel the connect_worker, but it runs only when the xprt's refcount drops to zero, which cannot happen until the rpc_clnt releases its cl_xprt reference in rpc_free_client_work(). When a TLS handshake fails fatally (for example, an mTLS mount whose client cert does not match the server), the connecting task is woken with -EACCES and exits, the mount caller invokes rpc_shutdown_client(), and the upper rpc_clnt is freed before the queued connect_worker fires. xs_tcp_tls_setup_socket() then dereferences the freed clnt, producing the refcount_t underflow Michael Nemanov reported. Take a reference on the upper rpc_clnt in xs_connect() for TLS transports via a new rpc_hold_client() helper, and drop it in the connect_worker's exit path with rpc_release_client(). The xprt_lock_connect() / xprt_unlock_connect() pairing already serialises xs_connect() with xs_tcp_tls_setup_socket(), so the take and release are balanced one-for-one. The non-TLS connect worker (xs_tcp_setup_socket) never reads sock_xprt::clnt, so leave that path alone and avoid the clnt-holds-xprt-holds-clnt cycle that would otherwise prevent xprt destruction.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- Yes
- 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 6.6.145, 6.12.97, 6.18.40, 7.1.5, 7.2
Red Hat 2 advisories
- RHSA-2026:77689 Released 2026-10-08 · Red Hat rating Importantkernel security, bug fix, and enhancement update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 9) kernel-64k-debug-devel-5.14.0-687.56.1.el9_8, kernel-64k-debug-devel-matched-5.14.0-687.56.1.el9_8, kernel-64k-devel-5.14.0-687.56.1.el9_8 +12
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 9) kernel-5.14.0-687.56.1.el9_8, kernel-64k-5.14.0-687.56.1.el9_8, kernel-64k-core-5.14.0-687.56.1.el9_8 +28
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 9) kernel-tools-libs-devel-5.14.0-687.56.1.el9_8, libperf-5.14.0-687.56.1.el9_8
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time (v. 9) kernel-rt-5.14.0-687.56.1.el9_8, kernel-rt-64k-5.14.0-687.56.1.el9_8, kernel-rt-64k-core-5.14.0-687.56.1.el9_8 +21
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time for NFV (v. 9) kernel-rt-5.14.0-687.56.1.el9_8, kernel-rt-core-5.14.0-687.56.1.el9_8, kernel-rt-debug-5.14.0-687.56.1.el9_8 +9
- RHSA-2026:77690 Released 2026-10-08 · Red Hat rating Importantkernel security, bug fix, and enhancement update
- 10Base-SMTV kernel-modules-internal-6.12.0-211.64.1.el10_2
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 10) kernel-64k-debug-devel-6.12.0-211.64.1.el10_2, kernel-64k-debug-devel-matched-6.12.0-211.64.1.el10_2, kernel-64k-devel-6.12.0-211.64.1.el10_2 +12
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 10) kernel-6.12.0-211.64.1.el10_2, kernel-64k-6.12.0-211.64.1.el10_2, kernel-64k-core-6.12.0-211.64.1.el10_2 +29
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 10) kernel-tools-libs-devel-6.12.0-211.64.1.el10_2, libperf-6.12.0-211.64.1.el10_2
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux Hidden (v. 10) kernel-modules-internal-6.12.0-211.64.1.el10_2
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time (v. 10) kernel-rt-6.12.0-211.64.1.el10_2, kernel-rt-64k-6.12.0-211.64.1.el10_2, kernel-rt-64k-core-6.12.0-211.64.1.el10_2 +21
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time for NFV (v. 10) kernel-rt-6.12.0-211.64.1.el10_2, kernel-rt-core-6.12.0-211.64.1.el10_2, kernel-rt-debug-6.12.0-211.64.1.el10_2 +9
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 | Affected | No fix planned: Out of support scope |
| 10Base-SMTV | Fixed | RHSA-2026:77690 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 10) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:77690 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:77689 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 10) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:77690 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:77689 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 10) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:77690 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:77689 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Hidden (v. 10) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:77690 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time (v. 10) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:77690 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:77689 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time for NFV (v. 10) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:77690 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time for NFV (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:77689 |
Not affected: 3 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-72317
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-x2ff-m8pm-h936
- 2026-10-09 Fix available: RHSA-2026:77689 · Red Hat
- 2026-10-09 Fix available: RHSA-2026:77690 · Red Hat
- 2026-10-09 Fix available: 10Base-SMTV, Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 10), Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 9) +9 · Red Hat
- 2026-10-16 CISA SSVC decision points changed
- 2026-10-21 EPSS moved to the 50th–90th percentile
- 2026-10-26 CVSS score changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-30 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
References
Other 5
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/79cd550f8c884523b604fbfa43eb02def74d6224
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7a65b41b657b71d5a77861f47dd13eb4bc8e10d0
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5b0427ba582d143a364301f825f4e32272f06d2d
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d49f6d098ed48775b9d27a9f9c5c220fdf76f102
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/46bc86c833956219bbfd246c1ffd832a479c5199
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Sources
- CVE-2026-72317 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-72317 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-x2ff-m8pm-h936 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-72317 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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