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TI-2026-68064 Aliases CVE-2026-98173GHSA-7vf5-5xh7-53fm

Use-after-free in Linux kernel SMB client interface handling

Priority LOW 33Published · Updated

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

EPSS 0.00345 28th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Partial Linux (Linux): 6.1.191, 6.6.160, 6.12.112 +3Red Hat: 5 without a fix

SSVC decision points

Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.

Affected products

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed inStatusSource
LinuxLinux5.19 and later6.1.191, 6.6.160, 6.12.112, 6.18.54, 7.2.8, 7.3Patch availableCNA
  • Linux VendorLinux Affected 5.19 and later Fixed in 6.1.191, 6.6.160, 6.12.112, 6.18.54, 7.2.8, 7.3 Patch available CNA

CPE names Threatist (inferred) · 1

Inferred from how NVD named this product before; not given by a source.

CPEVersionsRoleVendor
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*——Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions — — ·Linux

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 →

ProductStatusPlan or fix
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10AffectedNo fix yet
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8AffectedNo fix yet
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9AffectedNo fix yet
Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4AffectedNo fix yet
Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 5AffectedNo fix yet
Not affected: 3 products
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
  • Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4

Timeline

  1. 2026-10-06 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-98173
  2. 2026-10-06 Alias added: GHSA-7vf5-5xh7-53fm
  3. 2026-10-07 CVSS score added · CNA
  4. 2026-10-08 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
  5. 2026-10-08 CVSS score added · Red Hat
  6. 2026-10-19 Fix available: Linux/[email protected] · CNA
  7. 2026-10-21 Fix available: Linux/[email protected], Linux/Linux@ee0d8f83d68f6e6509f092c997ccab3c8c801538 · CNA
  8. 2026-10-21 1 new reference · CNA
  9. 2026-10-27 CVSS score changed · Red Hat
  10. 2026-10-30 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
  11. 2026-10-30 Fix available: Linux/[email protected], Linux/Linux@93e8a49adb2a575202c5ee766435eff2f9f95f5b · CNA
  12. 2026-10-30 1 new reference · CNA

References

  • TI-2025-26358 tls: fix handling of zero-length records on the rx_list KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
  • TI-2026-38352 netfilter: bridge: make ebt_snat ARP rewrite writable KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
  • TI-2021-02452 Incorrect authorization in Ubuntu linux kernel KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
  • TI-2013-05264 The (1) get_user and (2) put_user API functions in the Linux kernel before 3.5.5 on the… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
  • TI-2022-00125 Integer overflow in kernel KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
  • TI-2013-01864 The perf_swevent_init function in kernel/events/core.c in the Linux kernel before 3.8.9… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
See all 21727 →

Sources