Use-after-free in Linux kernel pivot_root() mount parent check
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: 7 without a fix
No CVSS vector from any source. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.
Summary
The Linux kernel is affected from version 4.1 onward until the fixed releases. In pivot_root(), the kernel reads the parent of a mount that was already unmounted before it checks that the mount is in the caller's mount namespace, which can read freed memory. A local caller holding a file descriptor to such an unmounted mount can trigger the read. Both outcomes of the check end in EINVAL, so the read itself is the only effect described.
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: namespace: check the mounts before reading their parents in pivot_root() path_pivot_root() reads the parents of new_root and of the caller's root and checks whether they are shared before it checks that either mount is in the caller's mount namespace. Only namespace_sem is held. That's fine for a mount that is in the caller's mount namespace. But new_root can be a file descriptor to a mount that has been unmounted and that only the file descriptor keeps alive. If that mount stayed attached to its parent when it was unmounted nothing pins the parent for it. The final mntput() of the parent unhooks the children under mount_lock alone and frees the parent afterwards: pivot_root() close(fd), last ref on the parent ------------ --------------------------------- ex_parent = new_mnt->mnt_parent mntput_no_expire_slowpath() __umount_mnt(new_mnt) cleanup_mnt() call_rcu() IS_MNT_SHARED(ex_parent) BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in path_pivot_root+0xf1a/0x1840 Read of size 4 at addr ffff8881047382f8 by task pivot_widen/157 path_pivot_root+0xf1a/0x1840 __x64_sys_pivot_root+0x165/0x190 The same goes for the caller's root via chroot(). Both outcomes of the check end in EINVAL so nothing but the read itself goes wrong. It's the same thing commit bb4609405752 ("statmount: read the parent of an unmounted mount under mount_lock") fixed for statmount(). Check that both mounts are in the caller's namespace before their parents are read. Every path returns EINVAL either way.
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 4.1, 5.10.273, 5.15.224, 6.1.191, 6.6.160, 6.12.114, 6.18.57, 7.2.11 or 7.3, or to the stable release of your branch that includes the fix. Red Hat lists Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 as affected with no fix planned. Red Hat lists Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7, 8, 9 and 10 and Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 and 5 as affected with no fix available.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-06
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 4.1
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.10.273, 5.15.224, 6.1.191, 6.6.160, 6.12.114, 6.18.57, 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 10 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 | Affected | No fix planned: Out of support scope |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | 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 |
Timeline
- 2026-10-23 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-98985
- 2026-10-23 Alias added: GHSA-gfp5-4w3q-vwjx
- 2026-10-30 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-30 CVSS score added · Red Hat
- 2026-10-30 Fix available: Linux/Linux@3184a2fda996af8fcd6def36020ec023c6279015, Linux/Linux@43fd2e2ec66e6db26b6ea3e9e7a4c1018455e1b0, Linux/[email protected] +3 · CNA
- 2026-10-30 3 new references · CNA
- 2026-11-06 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
References
Other 8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/43fd2e2ec66e6db26b6ea3e9e7a4c1018455e1b0
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5b5f8d0895cfa9f781ce107225d578897203444f
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3184a2fda996af8fcd6def36020ec023c6279015
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a56d4f8f8f4c5d9ac339d5c03a9d90eecd3697fc
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3c2441e21c3df867e4131e0ff784ecdb3a7a55f8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e3aba6900483f64e6c9eb328150dd633b7d36c1c
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3dad2330c89343ba083cf7868779083fd5fbe0fe
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6b7c001eb5857fa09041f47673666060a2e5fc1c
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Sources
- CVE-2026-98985 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-98985 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-gfp5-4w3q-vwjx · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-98985 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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