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Linux Kernel EUVDEUVD-2026-76621

| CVE-2026-89709 HIGH
2026-09-11 Linux GHSA-g58f-8h46-hjgv
8.1
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 admin executes rmmod nfsd
  2. Delivery
    nfsd_lockd_shutdown() clears nlmsvc_ops without RCU grace period
  3. Exploit
    concurrent lockd dispatch loads stale or NULL pointer
  4. Execution
    fopen/fclose callback dereferences freed nfsd .text/.rodata
  5. Impact
    kernel NULL deref panic or UAF slab corruption

Vulnerability Assessment

Exploitation Conditions

Three concurrent conditions are required: (1) the target Linux system is operating as an NFS server with both the nfsd and lockd kernel modules loaded and actively serving NFSv2 or NFSv3 clients that use file locking (LOCK/UNLOCK operations); (2) a user with CAP_SYS_MODULE privilege (effectively root) executes rmmod nfsd, unloads the nfsd module via modprobe -r, or triggers an unclean nfsd service stop that races module teardown; and (3) a lockd dispatch call referencing nlmsvc_ops is in-flight at the precise moment nfsd_lockd_shutdown() clears the pointer. Systems running NFSv4-only (which uses a different locking mechanism integrated into the NFS protocol) are not affected via this specific path. Systems that never dynamically unload nfsd during active service are not exposed. The AV:N/PR:N in the provided CVSS vector is inconsistent with the description - network access from NFS clients contributes to the race window but cannot independently trigger the vulnerability without the local privileged rmmod action.

Impact

The provided CVSS 8.1 vector (AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N) materially overstates the attack vector and privilege requirements. Triggering the race requires a local privileged action - rmmod nfsd or equivalent module unload - which demands CAP_SYS_MODULE (effectively root). Remote NFS clients contribute in-flight lock requests that create the concurrent execution window, but they cannot independently initiate the race; the local privileged teardown is the necessary precondition. A more accurate vector is AV:L/AC:H/PR:H, reducing the real-world score to approximately 6.3. EPSS of 0.15% (5th percentile) aligns with this reassessment - the combination of race timing, privileged local access, and NFSv2/v3 lockd configuration makes opportunistic exploitation impractical. No KEV listing and no POC exist. Practical impact is DoS-dominant (kernel panic from NULL deref or crash from slab corruption), with theoretical kernel code-execution potential from the UAF path requiring precise heap manipulation. Priority for patching is moderate, but elevated for environments that perform dynamic nfsd module management during active NFS service.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

A local administrator on an NFSv3 server executes rmmod nfsd (or a service manager tears down nfsd) while remote NFS clients are actively acquiring or releasing file locks via lockd. The nfsd_lockd_shutdown() plain store clears nlmsvc_ops before an in-flight lockd fopen or fclose callback completes, causing the dispatch path to dereference a NULL or stale pointer into already-unloaded nfsd module text, triggering a kernel panic or slab corruption. No public proof-of-concept exists for this scenario.

This Week Schedule remediation this week. Why: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9).
Patch available 0.2% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Sep 13, 2026

Use-after-free and NULL pointer dereference in the Linux kernel's lockd/nfsd subsystem allow a race between nfsd module teardown and in-flight lockd dispatch to dereference freed module memory, causing kernel panic or potential slab corruption. Any Linux NFS server running both nfsd and lockd (NFSv2/NFSv3 file locking) from kernel 2.6.12 through pre-7.2.4 is affected when nfsd is dynamically unloaded during active NFS lock operations. No public exploit has been identified and EPSS is 0.15%, consistent with the race-condition prerequisite.

RemediationAI

Upgrade to Linux kernel 7.2.4 or 7.3-rc1 or later, or apply the upstream stable patches directly from https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3c461a1820088fb5889d73a6522369bde45527a9 and https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/641e5e20852359b8c31149be4598884e30652f60. Distribution-specific backports should be monitored via vendor security channels. As an operational compensating control, avoid dynamically unloading the nfsd module on production NFS servers while clients hold active file locks - instead, stop the NFS service cleanly (e.g., systemctl stop nfs-server) which performs an orderly teardown before any module removal. Environments that never execute rmmod nfsd or equivalent during active NFS service are not exposed to the race window in practice.

Affected VersionsENISA

Linux 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <3c461a1820088fb5889d73a6522369bde45527a9
Linux 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <641e5e20852359b8c31149be4598884e30652f60
Linux patch: 0
Linux patch: 7.3-rc1
Linux 2.6.12
Linux patch: 7.2.4

Affected Packages

euvd linux no fix

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

The vulnerability lies in the interaction between the lockd kernel module (fs/lockd/svcsubs.c) and nfsd. nlmsvc_ops is a global pointer in lockd that nfsd populates via nfsd_lockd_init() with callbacks pointing into nfsd's .rodata and .text segments. On module teardown, nfsd_lockd_shutdown() cleared nlmsvc_ops with a plain store - no RCU grace period or memory barrier - leaving a window where in-flight lockd dispatch sites dereference either a NULL pointer (cleared store visible) or a stale pointer into already-unloaded module memory (store not yet visible). CWE-416 (Use After Free) is the primary root cause when the stale pointer is dereferenced; CWE-476 (NULL Pointer Dereference) covers the NULL-store-visible path. The fix converts nlmsvc_ops to __rcu, uses rcu_assign_pointer()/RCU_INIT_POINTER()+synchronize_rcu() to enforce a grace period, and adds a struct module *owner field to nlmsvc_binding with try_module_get/module_put pinning to prevent nfsd from unloading while callbacks are in progress. CPE: cpe:2.3:a:linux:linux:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*.

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Severity by source

Vendor (Linux) PRIMARY 8.1 HIGH
AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
vuln.today AI 6.4 MEDIUM

Requires CAP_SYS_MODULE (PR:H) to rmmod nfsd and precise race timing (AC:H); UAF in kernel context yields full C/I/A impact but local-only trigger.

3.1 AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.0 AV:L/AC:H/AT:P/PR:H/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
SUSE 4.1 MEDIUM
AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Red Hat 4.4 HIGH

Primary rating from Vendor (Linux).

CVSS VectorVendor: Linux

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

Lifecycle Timeline

4
CVSS changed
Sep 13, 2026 - 07:22 NVD
8.1 (HIGH)
Patch available
Sep 11, 2026 - 21:18 EUVD
CVE Published
Sep 11, 2026 - 19:46 cve.org
UNKNOWN (no severity yet)
CVE Published
Sep 11, 2026 - 19:46 cve.org
HIGH 8.1

DescriptionCVE.org

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

lockd, nfsd: RCU-protect nlmsvc_ops dispatch

nlmsvc_ops is published by nfsd_lockd_init() and cleared by nfsd_lockd_shutdown() with plain stores, while lockd dereferences it unguarded from dispatch sites in fs/lockd/svcsubs.c. The pointer targets nfsd's .rodata and the fopen/fclose callbacks live in nfsd's .text, so a stale load after rmmod nfsd results in either a NULL deref or a module-text use-after-free.

Declare nlmsvc_ops as __rcu, publish via rcu_assign_pointer(), clear via RCU_INIT_POINTER() + synchronize_rcu(). Add a struct module *owner field to nlmsvc_binding and pin the module across indirect calls with try_module_get/module_put. When the binding is torn down, fall back to fput() to avoid leaking struct file references.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

Linux NFS file servers running nfsd with NFSv2/NFSv3 file locking are vulnerable to kernel panic and potential slab corruption when nfsd module is dynamically unloaded during active lock operations. This availability risk disrupts file-locking services and client access to shared NFS storage, affecting any organization using NFS for file sharing or application data access.

Business Impact: High
Compensating Controls

Apply vendor patch. Until patched, implement operational controls: prohibit dynamic nfsd module unloading while NFS clients have active sessions; disable lockd service if file-locking functionality is not required; establish server-side monitoring and alerting for kernel panic messages and nfsd crashes.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.2%
Top 95% exploitable
Prevalence
High
NFSv2/NFSv3 with lockd widely deployed in enterprise Linux
Data Quality
5 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 0.2%
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
Scheduled
Exploitation· derived
None
System Exposure· derived
Open
Automatable· derived
No
Human Impact
High

Priority Score

40
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +40
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Vendor StatusVendor

SUSE

Severity: Moderate
Product Status
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 15 SP7 Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 15 SP7 Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Availability Extension 15 SP7 Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Availability Extension 15 SP7 Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Availability Extension 16.0 Affected

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