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Linux Kernel CVE-2026-93810

| EUVDEUVD-2026-86197 HIGH
2026-09-24 Linux GHSA-6jcf-xjrv-rxjr
7.0
CVSS 3.1 · Vendor: Linux
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Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Access
    Local access to cachefiles-backed host
  2. Exploit
    Induce tmpfile-creation failure in cache path
  3. Execution
    Trigger double fput() error handling
  4. Impact
    Kernel memory corruption / crash

Vulnerability Assessment

Exploitation Conditions

Requires a locally configured fscache/cachefiles caching backend with cachefilesd running (whose setup needs CAP_SYS_ADMIN), and the specific tmpfile-creation error path inside cachefiles_create_tmpfile() must fail - a kernel-internal failure condition that is NOT directly attacker-controlled. Exploitation is limited by: local access only (AV:L), some existing privilege (PR:L), high complexity because the attacker cannot reliably force the error path (AC:H), and the fact that most systems do not enable cachefiles at all. There is no remote or unauthenticated vector.

Impact

The provided CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H, score 7.0) rates this as a high-severity local vulnerability, but the underlying defect - a double fput() in the error-handling path of cachefiles_create_tmpfile() - is a memory-corruption (double-free, effectively CWE-415) bug that is crash-dominant, not a confidentiality issue. There is NO EPSS score, NO CISA KEV listing, and NO public POC, so no exploitation signal supports urgency. Critically, the C:H/I:H claims are overstated: reaching the bug requires the tmpfile-creation error path to fire, which is NOT attacker-controlled - it is a kernel-internal failure condition on a cachefiles backend that must be actively configured (cachefilesd running, CAP_SYS_ADMIN). A realistic reassessment is closer to ~4.5 (C:N/I:L/A:H), reflecting a hard-to-trigger local DoS/UAF rather than a reliably exploitable code-execution or disclosure flaw. This is a patch-in-normal-maintenance item, not an emergency: high CVSS but low real-world risk given the exploitation gating and absence of any exploitation evidence.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

A local user on a system with a configured fscache/cachefiles backend (cachefilesd active, requiring CAP_SYS_ADMIN to set up) would need to drive the kernel into the tmpfile-creation error path within cachefiles_create_tmpfile(), causing the same file reference to be released twice and corrupting kernel memory, potentially leading to a crash or use-after-free. No public exploit code exists, and the triggering error condition is not directly attacker-controlled, making reliable exploitation impractical.

This Week Schedule remediation this week. Why: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9).
Patch available 0.1% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Sep 25, 2026

A double fput() in the Linux kernel's cachefiles_create_tmpfile() error-handling path drops the struct file reference count twice, producing a double-free/reference-underflow that is crash-dominant and can corrupt kernel memory or panic the host. Only systems that actually enable the fscache/cachefiles caching backend with cachefilesd running are exposed; the assessed vector is local-only (AV:L) with some existing privilege (PR:L) and high complexity (AC:H), because the attacker cannot reliably force the internal tmpfile-creation failure that triggers the flaw. Vendor patches are available for the stable branches (6.12.111, 6.18.53) and the 7.2 mainline fix; no public exploit code has been identified at time of analysis and the CVE is not in CISA KEV.

RemediationAI

Apply the vendor-released kernel patch: upgrade to Linux 6.12.111, 6.18.53, or the mainline 7.2 fix (commits e9c2e68c3890a935abbd5f54dbce653f9a16836c, 90b306eee037d0a6a8f4aac834b46e05c5ddd0bf, or af6830cc12dfe86c832dccc9c9878a93aaa22f83, see https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e9c2e68c3890a935abbd5f54dbce653f9a16836c and the NVD record https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-93810); distributions that backport fixes should be checked for their own advisory tracking EUVD-2026-86197. Because exploitation requires an active fscache/cachefiles caching backend, the most effective compensating control is to leave that path disabled: stop cachefilesd, unmount the cache, and ensure the cachefiles module is not loaded (blacklist or modprobe-block it, or build the kernel without CONFIG_CACHEFILES). The trade-off is loss of persistent caching for network filesystems such as NFS/CIFS/AFS, which can materially reduce read performance on cache-backed workloads; on hosts where that caching is required, patch promptly instead of disabling it, since no attacker-controlled trigger is known and the residual risk is dominated by accidental or forced crash/denial of service rather than confidentiality loss.

Affected VersionsENISA

Linux 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <af6830cc12dfe86c832dccc9c9878a93aaa22f83
Linux patch: 7.2
Linux 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <90b306eee037d0a6a8f4aac834b46e05c5ddd0bf
Linux 0 <6.12.111
Linux 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <e9c2e68c3890a935abbd5f54dbce653f9a16836c
Linux patch: 6.12.111
Linux patch: 6.18.53
Linux 0 <6.18.53

Affected Packages

euvd linux fix: 6.12.111, 6.18.53

Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)

Affects your stack

Affects 1 package in euvd

Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

cachefiles is the kernel module that provides a persistent, on-disk cache backend for network filesystems (NFS, CIFS/SMB, AFS, 9p) through the fscache subsystem, and it is normally driven by the userspace cachefilesd daemon. cachefiles_create_tmpfile() creates a temporary file inside the cache volume as part of atomic cache-update handling; when that creation path fails, the error-handling code calls fput() on a file object it has already released, so the reference count on the underlying struct file is decremented twice and the object is freed while still reachable. Root cause class is a double-free / use-after-free style reference-counting defect (effectively CWE-415/CWE-416), even though no explicit CWE identifier was supplied with the record. The affected component is reached only when a fscache/cachefiles caching backend is configured and active; on kernels and distributions that do not enable cachefiles, the vulnerable code path is unreachable. Affected CPEs are the generic linux:linux product entries, so version-range, not vendor SKU, is the meaningful discriminator.

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  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

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Severity by source

Vendor (Linux) PRIMARY 7.0 HIGH
AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
vuln.today AI 5.3 MEDIUM

Local, low-priv access with a hard-to-force internal error path gives AV:L/AC:H/PR:L; double-free is crash-dominant (A:H) with no real disclosure (C:N) and only incidental integrity (I:L).

3.1 AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:H
4.0 AV:L/AC:H/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:L/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
SUSE 4.7 MEDIUM
AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Primary rating from Vendor (Linux).

CVSS VectorVendor: Linux

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

Lifecycle Timeline

4
CVSS changed
Sep 25, 2026 - 05:23 NVD
7.0 (HIGH)
Patch available
Sep 24, 2026 - 17:03 EUVD
CVE Published
Sep 24, 2026 - 16:02 cve.org
UNKNOWN (no severity yet)
CVE Published
Sep 24, 2026 - 16:02 cve.org
HIGH 7.0

DescriptionCVE.org

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

cachefiles: Fix double fput

Fix a double fput() in error handling in cachefiles_create_tmpfile().

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

The Linux kernel's fscache/cachefiles caching backend has a double-free vulnerability (CVE-2026-93810) that can cause host panics and service outages. Only organizations running cachefilesd on Linux systems are exposed, and exploitation requires local authenticated access with high complexity. Leadership should prioritize patching these systems to prevent denial-of-service disruptions.

Business Impact: Medium
Compensating Controls

Apply vendor patch.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.1%
Top 98% exploitable
Prevalence
Ubiquitous
Linux kernel is ubiquitous, though the cachefiles/fscache backend is niche
Data Quality
4 sources
Confidence: Medium

How this decision was reached

The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.

SignalValue
Severity HIGH
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.1%
Patch available Yes
Active threat No
Deciding rule
HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9)
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision· derived
Defer
Exploitation· derived
None
System Exposure· derived
Small
Automatable· derived
No
Human Impact
Medium

Priority Score

35
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +35
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Vendor StatusVendor

SUSE

Severity: Moderate
Product Status
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Availability Extension 15 SP7 Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP7 Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP7 Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 15 SP7 Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 SP7 Affected

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