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Linux Kernel EUVDEUVD-2026-93101

| CVE-2026-98173 HIGH
2026-10-06 Linux GHSA-7vf5-5xh7-53fm
7.5
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
    Lure Linux client to malicious SMB3 server
  2. Delivery
    Advertise then rapidly flap network interfaces
  3. Exploit
    Force concurrent interface refresh during channel setup
  4. Execution
    Free iface in unlocked window
  5. Impact
    Kernel dereferences freed memory, crash or leak

Vulnerability Assessment

Exploitation Conditions

Requires the Linux CIFS/SMB client to have an active SMB3 session with multichannel in use (ses->iface_list populated and channels being added), connecting to an attacker-controlled or compromised SMB server. The attacker must drive a concurrent interface refresh (SMB3_request_interfaces -> parse_server_interfaces) that marks ifaces inactive and frees non-re-advertised entries precisely during the window where cifs_try_adding_channels() has dropped iface_lock for cifs_ses_add_channel(). Limiting factors: this is a timing-dependent race (CVSS AC:H) that typically must win a narrow unlocked window; it is confined to deployments that actually mount SMB shares with multichannel from untrusted/attacker-influenced servers; and it requires client-side action to establish the session (UI:R). Hosts not using cifs.ko or not using multichannel are not exposed.

Impact

This is a client-side use-after-free race in the Linux kernel SMB/CIFS client (cifs_try_adding_channels()), triggered when a malicious or compromised SMB3 multichannel server flaps its advertised network interfaces while the client drops iface_lock during channel setup. The provided CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H, base 7.5) and the real-world signals are consistent in pointing to LOW operational priority: EPSS is only 0.21% (10th percentile), there is no CISA KEV listing, and no public exploit (POC) is referenced. The CVSS vector itself tempers the score with AC:H (a tight timing-dependent race) and UI:R, meaning exploitation is neither trivial nor automatable. The C:H/I:H/A:H impact rating is the typical worst-case theoretical treatment of any kernel UAF; the described primitive is specifically a READ of freed memory (iface->rdma_capable/is_active, iface_head.next), which realistically yields a crash or limited information leak rather than a reliably demonstrated write/RCE - the input tag 'Information Disclosure' aligns with the read-UAF nature. Net: a genuine kernel correctness bug worth patching in the normal cycle, but a high-CVSS/low-real-risk issue for most environments, not an emergency. Note the attacker must be the SMB server side and the client must have multichannel in use, further narrowing exposure.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

A Linux host mounts an SMB3 share with multichannel in use from an attacker-controlled or compromised file server. The server rapidly re-advertises and withdraws network interfaces so that a concurrent interface refresh frees the 'niface' entry while cifs_try_adding_channels() has released iface_lock during cifs_ses_add_channel(), causing the iterator and loop body to dereference freed memory - crashing the client or leaking freed kernel data. No public exploit code is identified at time of analysis, and the race (AC:H) plus required client interaction (UI:R) make reliable triggering difficult.

This Week Schedule remediation this week. Why: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9).
No patch listed yet 0.2% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Oct 07, 2026

A use-after-free race in the Linux kernel CIFS/SMB client (cifs_try_adding_channels()) allows a malicious or compromised SMB3 multichannel server to corrupt kernel memory on any client that mounts a share with multichannel enabled, primarily causing a kernel crash (high availability impact) and, secondarily, limited disclosure of freed memory contents. The client's interface iteration caches the next ses->iface_list entry under iface_lock, then drops that lock for the full duration of cifs_ses_add_channel(); a concurrent SMB3_request_interfaces()/parse_server_interfaces() refresh can mark interfaces inactive and kfree() that cached entry before the iterator advances, after which the loop dereferences freed memory. Reaching the window requires the client to have established an SMB3 multichannel session against an attacker-influenced server (CVSS vector PR:N but UI:R, AC:H), and no public exploit code has been identified at time of analysis; EPSS is 0.21% (10th percentile), so exploitation is opportunistic rather than broadly observed.

RemediationAI

Apply the upstream kernel fix: upgrade to Linux 6.12.112, 6.18.54, or 7.2.8 (or 7.3-rc4 and later on the development line), or obtain the equivalent backport from your distribution vendor, referencing the stable commits https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c941f1ebfd26f683de81091473f3596a218abff0, https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e99040e5e9c60441e6b4725e1a7b88c3106ae903, https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ec36b38e65596950e6c29bed7dfc90b98707c19c, and https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d034e836eefd7ce75e588f7031cffbeec594f5ac; because this is kernel code, there is no user-space patch substitute. If immediate kernel updates are not feasible, disable SMB3 multichannel on clients so cifs_try_adding_channels() is never exercised - for example mount with the 'nomultichannel' option or omit the multichannel setting in /etc/fstab and cifs-utils configuration - accepting the trade-off of reduced aggregate throughput, no NIC failover, and loss of the multi-path resilience multichannel provides. Additionally, restrict CIFS mounts to trusted SMB servers and avoid mounting shares from untrusted or attacker-controlled endpoints, since the race is server-driven; note that this is a policy control, not a code-level fix, and does not protect clients that must connect to untrusted servers. Monitoring for repeated SMB3 interface-refresh traffic from a server, or for kernel crash/oops traces referencing cifs_try_adding_channels() and release_iface(), can help detect attempted exploitation, though no public exploit code has been identified at time of analysis and EPSS is only 0.21% (10th percentile). See https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98173, https://vuldb.com/vuln/414100, and the vendor's distribution advisories for confirmation of patched kernel builds.

Affected VersionsENISA

Linux patch: 0
Linux patch: 6.12.112
Linux aa45dadd34e44fcd6a9df4b395bee5b5633b4cec <ec36b38e65596950e6c29bed7dfc90b98707c19c
Linux patch: 6.18.54
Linux 5.19
Linux aa45dadd34e44fcd6a9df4b395bee5b5633b4cec <d034e836eefd7ce75e588f7031cffbeec594f5ac
Linux patch: 7.3-rc4
Linux aa45dadd34e44fcd6a9df4b395bee5b5633b4cec <e99040e5e9c60441e6b4725e1a7b88c3106ae903
Linux aa45dadd34e44fcd6a9df4b395bee5b5633b4cec <c941f1ebfd26f683de81091473f3596a218abff0
Linux patch: 7.2.8

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 flaw lives in the Linux kernel's CIFS/SMB client (fs/smb/client, cifs.ko), which since Linux 5.19 supports SMB3 multichannel: a mount can spread traffic across multiple TCP/RDMA connections carried in a session's ses->iface_list. cifs_try_adding_channels() picks candidate interfaces while holding iface_lock, but the loop uses list_for_each_entry_safe_from() to cache the next entry (niface) and then releases iface_lock for the entire call to cifs_ses_add_channel(). Interface state is managed with kref reference counting, yet a typical cached candidate has no channel holding a reference, so its list reference is its last; a concurrent interface refresh (SMB3_request_interfaces() -> parse_server_interfaces()) marks all interfaces inactive and removes non-re-advertised entries with list_del() + kref_put(), where release_iface() is a bare kfree(). Inside the unlocked window the cached niface can therefore be freed, and the subsequent iterator advance dereferences niface->iface_head.next while the loop body reads iface->rdma_capable and is_active on released memory. The upstream fix removes any unreferenced list pointer spanning the unlocked window: each channel attempt re-scans the list from the head under iface_lock, takes a kref on the selected candidate, and passes only that referenced candidate into cifs_ses_add_channel(); weight_fulfilled still tracks selection progress so restarting the scan preserves the original weighted distribution and the weight_fulfilled-before-kref_put ordering on the failure path, and a per-pass attempts cap prevents a flapping interface refresh from spinning the inner loop within a single tries increment. The root-cause class is a use-after-free/TOCTOU race (CWE-416-like); no CWE identifier is supplied in the source data. CPE data identifies cpe:2.3:a:linux:linux as the affected product, and EUVD enumerates the vulnerable-to-fixed commit ranges on the branches that were backported.

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Severity by source

Vendor (Linux) PRIMARY 7.5 HIGH
AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
vuln.today AI 5.9 MEDIUM

Malicious SMB server needs no client privileges (PR:N) but must win a timing race (AC:H); described read-after-free primarily crashes the client (A:H) with only limited freed-memory exposure (C:L), no integrity impact.

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

Primary rating from Vendor (Linux).

CVSS VectorVendor: Linux

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

Lifecycle Timeline

3
CVSS changed
Oct 07, 2026 - 07:22 NVD
7.5 (HIGH)
CVE Published
Oct 06, 2026 - 08:44 cve.org
UNKNOWN (no severity yet)
CVE Published
Oct 06, 2026 - 08:44 cve.org
HIGH 7.5

DescriptionCVE.org

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

smb: client: fix use-after-free of iface in cifs_try_adding_channels()

cifs_try_adding_channels() iterates ses->iface_list with list_for_each_entry_safe_from(), which captures the next entry (niface) under iface_lock. The loop body then drops iface_lock for the whole duration of cifs_ses_add_channel().

A concurrent interface refresh (SMB3_request_interfaces() -> parse_server_interfaces()) marks all ifaces inactive and removes and frees any that are not re-advertised via list_del() + kref_put(), where release_iface() is a bare kfree(). Since niface typically has no channel holding a reference, the list reference is its last and it can be freed inside the unlocked window. On continue, the iterator advance step then dereferences niface->iface_head.next, and the loop body reads iface->rdma_capable/is_active, both on freed memory.

Fix this by never keeping an unreferenced list pointer across the unlocked window. Each channel attempt now re-scans the list from the head under iface_lock, takes a kref on the selected candidate, and passes only that referenced candidate to cifs_ses_add_channel(). weight_fulfilled still tracks selection progress, so restarting the scan preserves the original weighted distribution and the weight_fulfilled-before-kref_put ordering on the failure path.

Add a per-pass attempts cap so a flapping interface refresh cannot keep the inner loop spinning within a single tries increment.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

A high-severity use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel CIFS/SMB client (CVE-2026-98173) affects systems that mount SMB shares with multichannel enabled, allowing a malicious or compromised SMB3 server to crash the kernel and potentially disclose limited memory contents. No vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis, and no public exploit identified at time of analysis (EPSS 0.21%). Leadership should prioritize mitigating this risk because a kernel crash can disrupt critical file-sharing services, impacting business operations, though exploitation requires user interaction and a malicious server.

Business Impact: High
Compensating Controls

Disable SMB3 multichannel on affected Linux clients; restrict SMB mounts to trusted servers only; deploy kernel crash monitoring and alerting; apply vendor patches when released.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.2%
Top 90% exploitable
Prevalence
Ubiquitous
Linux kernel ships everywhere, though CIFS multichannel is a narrower config
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 No
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

38
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +38
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Information disclosure occurs when an application unintentionally exposes sensitive data that aids attackers in reconnaissance or directly compromises security.

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