Use-after-free in Linux kernel SMB client interface handling
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Attack complexity
- High
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · 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
The Linux kernel SMB client (cifs) is affected from version 5.19 until the fixed releases. In cifs_try_adding_channels(), a list entry is kept after the interface lock is released, so a concurrent interface refresh can free it and the kernel then reads freed memory (use-after-free). A remote attacker with no privileges can trigger it, but it requires user interaction and high attack complexity. The flaw can affect confidentiality, integrity and availability.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-10-30
Description from the CNA
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: smb: client: fix use-after-free of iface in cifs_try_adding_channels() cifs_try_adding_channels() iterates ses->iface_list with list_for_each_entry_safe_from(), which captures the next entry (niface) under iface_lock. The loop body then drops iface_lock for the whole duration of cifs_ses_add_channel(). A concurrent interface refresh (SMB3_request_interfaces() -> parse_server_interfaces()) marks all ifaces inactive and removes and frees any that are not re-advertised via list_del() + kref_put(), where release_iface() is a bare kfree(). Since niface typically has no channel holding a reference, the list reference is its last and it can be freed inside the unlocked window. On continue, the iterator advance step then dereferences niface->iface_head.next, and the loop body reads iface->rdma_capable/is_active, both on freed memory. Fix this by never keeping an unreferenced list pointer across the unlocked window. Each channel attempt now re-scans the list from the head under iface_lock, takes a kref on the selected candidate, and passes only that referenced candidate to cifs_ses_add_channel(). weight_fulfilled still tracks selection progress, so restarting the scan preserves the original weighted distribution and the weight_fulfilled-before-kref_put ordering on the failure path. Add a per-pass attempts cap so a flapping interface refresh cannot keep the inner loop spinning within a single tries increment.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
Remediation
Update the Linux kernel to 6.1.191, 6.6.160, 6.12.112, 6.18.54, 7.2.8 or 7.3, or to the fixed commit for your branch. Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8, 9 and 10 and Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 and 5 are listed as affected with no fix available.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-10-30
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 6.1.191, 6.6.160, 6.12.112, 6.18.54, 7.2.8, 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 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | Affected | No fix yet |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | Affected | No fix yet |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 | Affected | No fix yet |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 5 | Affected | No fix yet |
Not affected: 3 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
- Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4
Timeline
- 2026-10-06 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-98173
- 2026-10-06 Alias added: GHSA-7vf5-5xh7-53fm
- 2026-10-07 CVSS score added · CNA
- 2026-10-08 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-08 CVSS score added · Red Hat
- 2026-10-19 Fix available: Linux/[email protected] · CNA
- 2026-10-21 Fix available: Linux/[email protected], Linux/Linux@ee0d8f83d68f6e6509f092c997ccab3c8c801538 · CNA
- 2026-10-21 1 new reference · CNA
- 2026-10-27 CVSS score changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-30 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-30 Fix available: Linux/[email protected], Linux/Linux@93e8a49adb2a575202c5ee766435eff2f9f95f5b · CNA
- 2026-10-30 1 new reference · CNA
References
Other 6
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/93e8a49adb2a575202c5ee766435eff2f9f95f5b
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ee0d8f83d68f6e6509f092c997ccab3c8c801538
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c941f1ebfd26f683de81091473f3596a218abff0
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e99040e5e9c60441e6b4725e1a7b88c3106ae903
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ec36b38e65596950e6c29bed7dfc90b98707c19c
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d034e836eefd7ce75e588f7031cffbeec594f5ac
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Sources
- CVE-2026-98173 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-98173 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-7vf5-5xh7-53fm · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-98173 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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