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TI-2026-81877 Aliases CVE-2026-99170GHSA-fv9w-c66r-mfvr

Linux kernel: mount left out by copy_tree() can't take over a lock

Priority LOW 37Published · Updated

Key facts

Attack vector
Local
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
None
Attack complexity
Low
Impact type
—
Confidentiality · integrity · availability
High · High · High
Fix status
Partial Red Hat: 1 without a fix

Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.

Summary

The Linux kernel from 7.1 mishandles locked mounts of mount namespace files. copy_tree() leaves such a mount out of copies and never checks its lock, so the lock can move to a mount that later disappears. A local user with low privileges who is root in their own user namespace can remove the lock on a covered file and read the file underneath. The CVSS base score is 8.8 (High).

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: a mount that copy_tree() leaves out can't take over a lock Since commit c62a4766937e ("move_mount: transfer MNT_LOCKED") a mount can be moved beneath a locked mount. The lock moves from the old cover to the new mount which takes over the job of hiding what's under it and the old cover can be unmounted. That works as long as the new mount stays. But the caller picks the new mount and copy_tree() leaves a mount of a mount namespace file out of every copy made without CL_COPY_MNT_NS_FILE, together with everything mounted on it, and never looks at MNT_LOCKED. unshare(CLONE_NEWNS) and mount propagation make such copies. So a task that is root in its own user namespace gets rid of a locked cover on a file without a race and without touching the filesystem below it. It makes a child with a mount namespace of its own, binds the child's /proc/<pid>/ns/mnt beneath the cover with MOVE_MOUNT_BENEATH, which hands the lock to that bind, and calls unshare(CLONE_NEWNS). The new mount namespace has nothing on the file. That's the usual way to mask a single file, a bind of /dev/null or of an empty file. With a bind of an ordinary file the file stays covered. copy_tree() already refuses to leave out a locked unbindable mount with -EPERM since commit df7342b24018 ("mount: Don't allow copying MNT_UNBINDABLE|MNT_LOCKED mounts"). Do the same for a locked mount of a mount namespace file. That also covers a tree copied with CL_COPY_MNT_NS_FILE and attached into a mount namespace of another user namespace where lock_mnt_tree() locks it. Note that unshare(CLONE_NEWNS) and clone(CLONE_NEWNS) fail with EPERM from such a mount namespace from then on. The mount can't be left out and it can't be unmounted. And refuse to move a mount of a mount namespace file beneath a locked mount in the first place. Otherwise the task ends up with a mount it can't unmount and an unshare() that fails for good. Chris also found a second mount that goes away by itself, a clone of an automounted mount that shrink_submounts() took along with its parent. Commit f78ddcc87224 ("namespace: never expire a locked mount") took care of that one. Chris's reproducer is appended. Mode nsfile reads SECRET after the unshare() on 7.3-rc7, with this patch the move_mount() fails with EINVAL and the file stays covered. nsfile-control uses an ordinary file and reads MASK both ways. // SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0 /* * Get rid of a locked cover with MOVE_MOUNT_BENEATH. * * The "admin" (root) makes a tmpfs W: * W/D file, holds SECRET, covered by a bind of a file with MASK * W/Dd/inner file, holds SECRET, Dd is covered by a bind of a directory * whose "inner" holds MASK * W/own directory of uid 1000 with the file "mine" and the * directory "minedir", whose "inner" holds MINE * W/dbg debugfs, mode 755. dbg/tracing is an automount point * The "attacker" is uid 1000. It enters a new user namespace with a new mount * namespace, so W and both covers are locked there. * * usage: prog MODE * plain put a bind of own/mine beneath the cover of D, unmount the cover * nsfile put a bind of the mount namespace file of a child beneath the * cover of D, then unshare(CLONE_NEWNS) * nsfile-control the same with a bind of own/mine * shrink put a bind of the automounted tracefs beneath the cover of Dd, * unmount the cover, put a tmpfs beneath W, call umount(W), which fails * shrink-control the same with a bind of own/minedir * The environment variable AUTOMOUNT_DIR names another automount point for "shrink". */ #define _GNU_SOURCE #include <errno.h> #include <fcntl.h> #include <grp.h> #include <sched.h> #include <signal.h> #include <stdio.h> #include <stdlib.h> #include <string.h> #include <unistd.h> ---truncated---

Why it matters now

EPSS 0.0013 2nd percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Partial Linux (Linux): 7.2.13, 7.3Red 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
LinuxLinux7.1 and later7.2.13, 7.3Patch availableCNA
  • Linux VendorLinux Affected 7.1 and later Fixed in 7.2.13, 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

Linux kernel fixed versions are 7.2.13 and 7.3. Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 is affected and has no fix planned.

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

  • Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 7.2.13, 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. 2026-10-28 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-99170
  2. 2026-10-28 Alias added: GHSA-fv9w-c66r-mfvr
  3. 2026-10-29 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
  4. 2026-10-29 CVSS score added · Red Hat
  5. 2026-10-31 CVSS score added · CNA
  6. 2026-10-31 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