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CVE-2026-89641
cifs: clear tcon after cifsFileInfo_put() in cifs_file_set_size()
Published 2026-09-11 (37 days ago) by the Linux kernel CNA. Subsystem fs/smb. Debian urgency: unimportant.
What to do, per Debian release
Debian's own status for CVE-2026-89641 in every release this site tracks, and what each one means in practice. Every status below is the one the Debian Security Team publishes for this CVE. source
| Release | Status | Version | What this means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 12bookworm | not affected | 6.1.190-1 | Nothing to do. bookworm never shipped the vulnerable code. |
| Debian 13trixie | not affected | 6.12.113-1 | Nothing to do. trixie never shipped the vulnerable code. |
| Debian 14forky | fixed | 7.2.6-1 | Update the kernel and reboot. Fixed in 7.2.6-1. A running kernel keeps the old code until the machine restarts. |
| Debian unstablesid | fixed | 7.2.6-1 | Update the kernel and reboot. Fixed in 7.2.6-1. A running kernel keeps the old code until the machine restarts. |
The vulnerability
What the bug is
When the else branch of cifs_file_set_size() finds a writable file handle via find_writable_file(), it borrows tcon and server from the handle's tlink, attempts the handle-based set_file_size() RPC, and then releases the handle with cifsFileInfo_put(). If set_file_size() fails, execution falls through to the path-based fallback, which reuses the borrowed tcon and server under the "if (tcon == NULL)" guard. Since tcon is not NULL at that point, the guard is skipped. If cifsFileInfo_put() dropped the last reference on a tlink that was already removed from the tlink tree (TCON_LINK_IN_TREE cleared, as happens during reconnection or session teardown), cifs_put_tlink() will have freed tcon; the subsequent set_path_size() call is then a use-after-free. Setting tcon = NULL after cifsFileInfo_put() causes the existing guard to take the cifs_sb_tlink() path, which acquires a fresh reference for the path-based operation or fails cleanly if the session is gone.
Where it lives
The fix touches these files. If the subsystem is one you do not use, the practical exposure is lower, though the package is still the vulnerable one.
fs/smb/client/inode.c
- What this is
- COMMON INTERNET FILE SYSTEM CLIENT (CIFS and SMB3)MAINTAINERS section matched on fs/smb/client/ · linux-cifs@vger.kernel.org · Supported
- Kernel module
- cifs
Check it on the machine
grep -wE 'CONFIG_CIFS|CONFIG_SMBFS' /boot/config-$(uname -r)Reads the booted kernel's own configuration, on the machine and nowhere else. =y is built in, =m is a module, and an is not set line means the code is not there.
lsmod | grep -w cifsPrints a line if that module is loaded right now, and nothing if it is not. One that is not loaded can still be loaded later by anything that needs it.
Show whether Debian builds this, per release
Debian builds this as a loadable module. Every release below compiles it as a module on every flavour, so whether the code is in the running kernel depends on whether that module is loaded.
- bookworm, trixie, forky, sidm
- m
- a loadable module on every flavour - check lsmod, can be blacklisted
- Build switches
- CONFIG_CIFS, CONFIG_SMBFS
- Reads as
- all on means the file is compiled; any one off means it is not.
From the configuration Debian publishes for every kernel flavour it builds. It covers only the architectures Debian ships a linux-config package for, and nothing about a kernel you built yourself. Debian's own status above stays authoritative about the source package.MAINTAINERS kbuild Makefiles Debian linux-config packages
Signals
- Published
- 2026-09-11 (37 days ago)source
- CVSS
- 7.8 high
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:Hsource recompute it - Attack vector
- local (AV:L)source
- EPSS
- 0.14%, higher than 3.0% of all CVEssource
- CISA KEV
- not listedthe KEV catalogue
- Debian urgency
- unimportantsource
- Subsystem
- fs/smb
Upstream fixes
The versions the CNA records as introducing and fixing this, and the commit for each. source
| Introduced | Fixed in | Commit |
|---|---|---|
| 6.18 | 6.18.50 | 4f18c9e7ee46 |
| 6.18 | 7.2.4 | 4bea15d9c768 |
| 6.18 | 7.3 | b96db32fed8d |
Why the CNA scored it this way
Quoted from the kernel CNA's own scoring file, word for word. A highlighted metric carries the most severe value CVSS v3.1 defines for it, which is what pushes the score up. source
- AV:LAttack vector, local
- The UAF is in the CIFS client setattr path (fs/smb/client/inode.c cifs_file_set_size), reached only via local VFS truncate/setattr on a mounted SMB share (sys_truncate → vfs_truncate → notify_change → cifs_setattr), not via ksmbd or unsolicited SMB receive processing.
- AC:LAttack complexity, low
- A local attacker controls both sides: keep a writable handle open, issue truncate(2) to hit the find_writable_file() else branch, fail handle-based set_file_size (controlled/malicious server or reconnect), and concurrently umount/teardown so TCON_LINK_IN_TREE is already cleared when cifsFileInfo_put() drops the last tlink ref.
- PR:LPrivileges required, low
- Any unprivileged user with write access on an existing CIFS mount can invoke truncate(2); vfs_truncate only requires MAY_WRITE and setattr_prepare does not demand CAP_SYS_ADMIN. CIFS is not FS_USERNS_MOUNT, but the vulnerable path itself needs no init-namespace capability.
- UI:NUser interaction, none
- The attacker performs open/truncate (and optional umount) themselves on a reachable CIFS mount such as an enterprise automount or a share they mounted; no separate victim action is required at exploit time.
- S:UScope, unchanged
- This is a standard in-kernel heap use-after-free of struct cifs_tcon on the client host, enabling privilege escalation within the same kernel security authority and not a VM, IOMMU, or sandbox escape.
- C:HConfidentiality impact, high
- After cifsFileInfo_put() can free tcon, set_path_size()/smb2_compound_op() reads the freed cifs_tcon; kernel UAF of this heap object enables reuse/spraying and arbitrary kernel memory disclosure.
- I:HIntegrity impact, high
- The same freed tcon is passed into SMB2 compound operations that write tcon fields and follow tcon->ses pointers, so heap spraying yields arbitrary write and potential control-flow hijack primitives.
- A:HAvailability impact, high
- Use-after-free of tcon in the path-based set_path_size fallback causes kernel oops/panic even without full exploitation, fully denying availability.