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Linux Kernel eCryptfs CVE-2026-89607

| EUVDEUVD-2026-76519 HIGH
2026-09-11 Linux GHSA-97r7-5j8w-q49j
7.8
CVSS 3.1 · Vendor: Linux
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Severity by source

Vendor (Linux) PRIMARY
7.8 HIGH
AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
vuln.today AI
7.8 HIGH

Local access with low-privilege user required; AES-192 constraint narrows surface but does not raise AC since it is a configuration condition, not a timing or race requirement.

3.1 AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.0 AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Primary rating from Vendor (Linux).

CVSS VectorVendor: Linux

Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

Lifecycle Timeline

5
Analysis Generated
Sep 13, 2026 - 09:07 vuln.today
CVSS changed
Sep 13, 2026 - 07:22 NVD
7.8 (HIGH)
Patch available
Sep 11, 2026 - 21:18 EUVD
CVE Published
Sep 11, 2026 - 19:45 cve.org
UNKNOWN (no severity yet)
CVE Published
Sep 11, 2026 - 19:45 cve.org
HIGH 7.8

DescriptionCVE.org

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

ecryptfs: reject oversized encrypted_key_size in parse_tag_3_packet

parse_tag_3_packet() set encrypted_key_size from the Tag 3 packet body without bounding it against ECRYPTFS_MAX_KEY_BYTES (64). When encrypted_key_size > 64, decrypt_passphrase_encrypted_session_key() sets decrypted_key_size = encrypted_key_size and performs two out-of-bounds writes:

  1. crypto_skcipher_decrypt() writes encrypted_key_size bytes into

decrypted_key[64] via scatterlist, overflowing into the parent ecryptfs_auth_tok struct.

  1. memcpy(crypt_stat->key, decrypted_key, decrypted_key_size) writes

into crypt_stat->key[64], corrupting root_iv, keysig_list, and mutexes in ecryptfs_crypt_stat.

Only AES-192 (cipher code 0x08) enables this because it sets crypt_stat->key_size = 24 independently of encrypted_key_size, allowing crypto_skcipher_setkey() to succeed while encrypted_key_size exceeds ECRYPTFS_MAX_KEY_BYTES.

The PKI decryption path (parse_tag_65_packet) already validates decrypted_key_size <= ECRYPTFS_MAX_KEY_BYTES; the passphrase path omits this check.

Bound encrypted_key_size against ECRYPTFS_MAX_KEY_BYTES (64) rather than ECRYPTFS_MAX_ENCRYPTED_KEY_BYTES (512). The 64-byte limit also protects the 512-byte encrypted_key[] buffer, so the former 512-byte check is removed as redundant.

[tyhicks: Adjust the code comment to refer to macros representing the buffer sizes rather than mentioning the buffer size values since they may change in the future]

AnalysisAI

Two heap out-of-bounds writes in Linux kernel eCryptfs allow a local low-privileged user to corrupt kernel memory structures by supplying a crafted Tag 3 passphrase-encrypted session key packet with an oversized encrypted_key_size field. The vulnerability is exclusively triggered when AES-192 (cipher code 0x08) is used because that cipher sets crypt_stat->key_size=24 independently, permitting crypto_skcipher_setkey() to succeed while encrypted_key_size still exceeds the 64-byte ECRYPTFS_MAX_KEY_BYTES bound - overflowing into ecryptfs_auth_tok and corrupting root_iv, keysig_list, and mutexes in ecryptfs_crypt_stat. …

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Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata

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Vulnerability AssessmentAI

Exploitation Exploitation requires all of the following: (1) local system access with at least low-privilege user credentials (AV:L/PR:L per CVSS); (2) the eCryptfs filesystem feature enabled in the kernel (CONFIG_ECRYPT_FS); (3) an eCryptfs mount specifically configured to use AES-192 (cipher code 0x08) - the bug is not reachable via AES-128 or AES-256 because those ciphers do not create the key_size/encrypted_key_size mismatch that allows setkey to succeed; (4) the attacker must supply or influence a Tag 3 passphrase-encrypted session key packet with an oversized encrypted_key_size field. … Additional conditions and limiting factors are described in the full assessment.
Risk Assessment The provided CVSS 7.8 (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H) is broadly accurate: local access and low-privilege user are required, making this a local privilege escalation rather than a remotely exploitable flaw. … Full risk analysis with EPSS, KEV, and SSVC signal comparison available after sign-in.
Exploit Scenario Full exploit scenario with step-by-step reproduction available after sign-in.
Remediation Update to a patched kernel version: 6.12.109, 6.18.50, 7.2.4, or 7.3-rc1, with fixes available at https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ccd13eff0e7356d2aa28b127b577e4e5ad4563f5, https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/14cb36a500a5a3afbc955dbf69dabc565f1a3b26, https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a419c9ebfc9a40ee56aaad6dc68bfd67d400817b, and https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5babe9c177c364521e3e682b949c5a8c47f4a441. … Detailed patch versions, workarounds, and compensating controls in full report.

Recommended ActionAI

Within 24 hours, audit your Linux infrastructure to identify systems using eCryptfs encryption by checking /proc/mounts for ecryptfs entries and reviewing encrypted home directory configurations. …

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CVE-2026-89607 vulnerability details – vuln.today

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