SUNRPC: fix gssx_dec_option_array error path bugs
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- None · None · High
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 5 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: fix gssx_dec_option_array error path bugs Four coupled defects in the gssx XDR option-array decoder make the error paths unsafe: a NULL deref in the caller, a refcount leak on the decoded group_info, and a latent use-after-free that the leak fix would otherwise expose. gssx_dec_option_array() sets oa->count = 1 before allocating oa->data. If that allocation fails, -ENOMEM is returned with oa->count == 1 and oa->data == NULL. All other error paths jump to free_oa: which frees oa->data and NULLs it but also leaves oa->count == 1. The caller trusts the count: gssp_accept_sec_context_upcall() gssx_dec_accept_sec_context() gssx_dec_option_array() /* fails, count=1 data=NULL */ data = res.options.data[0].value /* NULL deref */ Independently, free_creds: releases the partially decoded svc_cred with a bare kfree(creds). gssx_dec_linux_creds() installs a groups_alloc() result into creds->cr_group_info; that object is kvmalloc-backed and refcounted, and only put_group_info() reaches kvfree(). A plain kfree(creds) drops the wrapper and leaks the group_info allocation. The natural fix for the leak is to call free_svc_cred(creds) before kfree(creds), but free_svc_cred() invokes put_group_info() on creds->cr_group_info unconditionally when non-NULL. The existing out_free_groups: path in gssx_dec_linux_creds() already called groups_free() on that pointer without clearing it, so once free_svc_cred() is wired in, the subsequent put_group_info() would touch freed memory. Fix all four together: - Move the oa->count = 1 assignment below the oa->data allocation so it is never set when oa->data is NULL. - Reset oa->count to 0 at free_oa: so count and data stay coherent and the caller sees an empty option array. - Call free_svc_cred(creds) before kfree(creds) at free_creds: so the refcounted cr_group_info is released. free_svc_cred() either NULL-guards each field explicitly (cr_group_info has an if() check) or delegates to a helper that is NULL-safe itself (kfree for the string fields, gss_mech_put() which guards with if(gm) at gss_mech_switch.c:342), so it is safe to call on a partially decoded svc_cred where only cr_uid/cr_gid/cr_group_info have been written and everything else is zero from kzalloc. - In gssx_dec_linux_creds()'s out_free_groups: path, release cr_group_info with put_group_info() rather than groups_free() so the teardown matches free_svc_cred()'s refcount-aware path, and clear the pointer so a later free_svc_cred() on the same creds does not release it a second time.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- Yes
- 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 | 5.10.214 to before 5.10.273; 5.15.153 to before 5.15.224; 6.1.83 to before 6.1.191; 6.6.23 to before 6.6.160; 4.19.311 to before 4.20; 5.4.273 to before 5.5; 6.7.11 to before 6.8; 6.8.2 to before 6.9 | 5.10.273, 5.15.224, 6.1.191, 6.6.160, 4.20, 5.5, 6.8, 6.9 | Patch available | CNA |
| Linux | Linux | 6.9 and later | 5.10.273, 5.15.224, 6.1.191, 6.6.160, 6.12.111, 6.18.51, 7.2.4, 7.3 | Patch available | CNA |
- Linux VendorLinux Affected 5.10.214 to before 5.10.273; 5.15.153 to before 5.15.224; 6.1.83 to before 6.1.191; 6.6.23 to before 6.6.160; 4.19.311 to before 4.20; 5.4.273 to before 5.5; 6.7.11 to before 6.8; 6.8.2 to before 6.9 Fixed in 5.10.273, 5.15.224, 6.1.191, 6.6.160, 4.20, 5.5, 6.8, 6.9 Patch available CNA
- Linux VendorLinux Affected 6.9 and later Fixed in 5.10.273, 5.15.224, 6.1.191, 6.6.160, 6.12.111, 6.18.51, 7.2.4, 7.3 Patch available CNA
Remediation
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.10.273, 5.15.224, 6.1.191, 6.6.160, 4.20, 5.5, 6.8, 6.9
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.10.273, 5.15.224, 6.1.191, 6.6.160, 6.12.111, 6.18.51, 7.2.4, 7.3
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 8 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 5 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
Not affected: 4 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
- Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-89544
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-xwc4-2qqp-pxh3
- 2026-10-18 CISA SSVC decision points changed
- 2026-10-18 Priority changed: LOW → MEDIUM
- 2026-10-19 Fix available: Linux/[email protected] · CNA
- 2026-10-21 Fix available: Linux/[email protected], Linux/Linux@8c56a46db3b7523f13e167c3e2c6e3c47a87dcb3 · CNA
- 2026-10-21 1 new reference · CNA
- 2026-10-29 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-30 Fix available: Linux/Linux@3473139d15d67e2fd737cf0613082adb5499362f, Linux/[email protected], Linux/[email protected] +3 · CNA
- 2026-10-30 3 new references · CNA
- 2026-10-30 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-31 EPSS moved to the 50th–90th percentile
References
Other 8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ac86b45bb978cd4fdbcaaca82dd0f2337f8e310c
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3473139d15d67e2fd737cf0613082adb5499362f
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/993a9012e68b8667a0a9b316fd718680c7e008a0
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8c56a46db3b7523f13e167c3e2c6e3c47a87dcb3
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fb30241f7ccace372ee83017891549f23a715581
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3ff45361e9469e85c0f86b8e7b82c63e50bab8ef
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f85a83774d7f4e2ac71c0c384df0dfb6f7d0179a
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5e9a94539b1ec17a89177d952badfd0d844d694a
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Sources
- CVE-2026-89544 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-89544 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-xwc4-2qqp-pxh3 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-89544 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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