Mqueue mount leak in Linux kernel IPC namespace setup failure
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: 5 without a fix
No CVSS vector from any source. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.
Summary
The Linux kernel from 5.19 is affected by a resource leak in IPC namespace creation. When setup of the mqueue or IPC sysctls, or msg_init_ns(), fails after the mqueue mount is created, create_ipc_ns() drops the mount with mntput(), which never unmounts it, so the mount and the mqueue superblock leak.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-07
Description from the CNA
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ipc: drop the mqueue mount with kern_unmount() on setup failure mq_init_ns() creates the mqueue mount with fc_mount_longterm(), so its ->mnt_ns is MNT_NS_INTERNAL. When setting up the mqueue or ipc sysctls or msg_init_ns() fails afterwards, create_ipc_ns() drops it with a plain mntput(). With ->mnt_ns set that takes the fast path of mntput_no_expire(). The count drops to zero and nothing ever kills the mount, so the mount and the mqueue superblock are leaked. Commit dc55e35f9e81 ("ipc: Store mqueue sysctls in the ipc namespace") added the first failure path after mq_init_ns() and never dropped the mount. Commit 7229d74e5e8c ("ipc: create_ipc_ns: drop mqueue mount on sysctl setup failure") tried to fix that with a mntput() but that doesn't help for a long-term mount. Use kern_unmount(). free_ipc() open-codes the same thing for a namespace that made it.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
Remediation
Upgrade the Linux kernel to 6.18.61, 7.2.13 or 7.3, which contain the fix. Red Hat lists Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9, Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 and Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 5 as affected with no fix available, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 as affected with no fix planned.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-07
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 6.18.61, 7.2.13, 7.3
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Low. 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 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 |
Not affected: 4 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
- Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4
Timeline
- 2026-10-28 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-99172
- 2026-10-28 Alias added: GHSA-c64w-44gc-4h7w
- 2026-10-29 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-29 CVSS score added · Red Hat
- 2026-11-06 Fix available: Linux/Linux@4aef6ceb4d6acacd53bc047ac4849677c3edbec1, Linux/[email protected] · CNA
- 2026-11-06 1 new reference · CNA
- 2026-11-07 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
References
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Sources
- CVE-2026-99172 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-99172 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-c64w-44gc-4h7w · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-99172 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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