Read the docs
TI-2026-79776 Aliases CVE-2026-98983GHSA-vc4v-q632-x9g5

Unshare drops namespace references it never took in Linux kernel

Priority LOW 22Published · Updated

Key facts

Attack vector
—
Privileges required
—
User interaction
—
Attack complexity
—
Impact type
—
Confidentiality · integrity · availability
—
Fix status
Partial Red Hat: 1 without a fix

No CVSS vector from any source. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.

Summary

The Linux kernel is affected in versions from 5.15.209 before 5.16, from 6.1.175 before 6.2, from 6.6.141 before 6.7, from 6.12.91 before 6.13, from 6.18.33 before 6.19, from 7.0.10 before 7.1, and from 7.1 until the fixes in 7.2.11 and 7.3. When set_cred_ucounts() fails in unshare, ksys_unshare() calls put_nsproxy() on an nsproxy that was never installed, so namespace active references are dropped without ever being taken. The shared namespaces lose a reference that belongs to the caller's nsproxy, and the caller's namespaces can disappear from listns().

Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-06

Description from the CNA

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: unshare: don't drop active namespace references that were never taken Active references on the namespaces of an nsproxy are taken when the nsproxy is installed into a task in switch_task_namespaces() and copy_namespaces() and dropped again by put_nsproxy() through deactivate_nsproxy(). But ksys_unshare() calls put_nsproxy() on an nsproxy that was never installed when set_cred_ucounts() fails. The new namespaces of that nsproxy go from zero to minus one and the namespaces shared with the caller lose a reference that belongs to the nsproxy the caller keeps using: WARNING: kernel/nscommon.c:171 at __ns_ref_active_put+0x1cd/0x230 nsproxy_ns_active_put deactivate_nsproxy ksys_unshare Afterwards the namespaces the caller lives in aren't listed by listns() anymore. set_cred_ucounts() only fails when alloc_ucounts() can't allocate and it only allocates when the real uid of the caller differs from its effective uid. Commit cefd55bd2159 ("nsproxy: fix free_nsproxy() and simplify create_new_namespaces()") separated the two cases on purpose. nsproxy_free() frees an nsproxy that was prepared but never installed and that's what a failed setns() uses in put_nsset(). Export it and use it for a failed unshare() as well.

Why it matters now

EPSS 0.00163 5th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Partial Linux (Linux): 5.16, 6.2, 6.7 +5Red Hat: 1 without a fix

SSVC decision points

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

Affected products

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed inStatusSource
LinuxLinux5.15.209 to before 5.16; 6.1.175 to before 6.2; 6.6.141 to before 6.7; 6.12.91 to before 6.13; 6.18.33 to before 6.19; 7.0.10 to before 7.15.16, 6.2, 6.7, 6.13, 6.19, 7.1Patch availableCNA
LinuxLinux7.1 and later7.2.11, 7.3Patch availableCNA
  • Linux VendorLinux Affected 5.15.209 to before 5.16; 6.1.175 to before 6.2; 6.6.141 to before 6.7; 6.12.91 to before 6.13; 6.18.33 to before 6.19; 7.0.10 to before 7.1 Fixed in 5.16, 6.2, 6.7, 6.13, 6.19, 7.1 Patch available CNA
  • Linux VendorLinux Affected 7.1 and later Fixed in 7.2.11, 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

The Linux kernel fix is included in 5.16, 6.2, 6.7, 6.13, 6.19 and 7.1, and on the 7.1 branch in 7.2.11 and 7.3. Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 is affected with no fix planned.

Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-06

  • Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.16, 6.2, 6.7, 6.13, 6.19, 7.1
  • Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 7.2.11, 7.3

Vendor assessments

Red Hat

Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →

ProductStatusPlan or fix
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6AffectedNo fix planned: Out of support scope
Not affected: 6 products
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
  • Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4
  • Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 5

Timeline

  1. 2026-10-23 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-98983
  2. 2026-10-23 Alias added: GHSA-vc4v-q632-x9g5
  3. 2026-10-29 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
  4. 2026-10-29 CVSS score added · Red Hat
  5. 2026-11-06 Affected versions changed · Red Hat

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 21741 →

Sources