Unshare drops namespace references it never took in Linux kernel
Key facts
- Attack vector
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- Privileges required
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- User interaction
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- Attack complexity
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- Impact type
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- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
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- 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
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 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 | 5.16, 6.2, 6.7, 6.13, 6.19, 7.1 | Patch available | CNA |
| Linux | Linux | 7.1 and later | 7.2.11, 7.3 | Patch available | CNA |
- 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
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 →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 | Affected | No 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
- 2026-10-23 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-98983
- 2026-10-23 Alias added: GHSA-vc4v-q632-x9g5
- 2026-10-29 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-29 CVSS score added · Red Hat
- 2026-11-06 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
References
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Sources
- CVE-2026-98983 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-98983 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-vc4v-q632-x9g5 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-98983 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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