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CVE-2026-98992

Linux: namespace: don't copy an unmounted mount tree

Linux LinuxOperating systems
CVSS
NoneNot scored
ExploitationNo known exploitationNot in CISA KEV, which does not prove it is unexploitedCISA KEV
Exploit odds (EPSS)No scoreNo FIRST EPSS score in this snapshot yet
Fixed in86a2d56b1960720bf1844441c0890621e9db2f25Also 7e037b1fd339d865737c8accd29abcf40130a5a0, 8d3527457e183cedee3003c2897314da49488311 and 1 moreCVE List
Published23 Oct 2026Updated 23 Oct 2026CVE List

What fixes it

  • 86a2d56b1960720bf1844441c0890621e9db2f25LinuxCVE List
  • 7e037b1fd339d865737c8accd29abcf40130a5a0LinuxCVE List
  • 8d3527457e183cedee3003c2897314da49488311LinuxCVE List
  • 8bacbf6be959973b28b691713a872c12eae69eecLinuxCVE List

A fixed version on one release line is not the upgrade target for every line. Check your exact version and any vendor backports.

Description

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

namespace: don't copy an unmounted mount tree

may_copy_tree() accepts a mount whose root is an nsfs or pidfs file before it checks whether that mount is mounted. This exception exists for nsfs and pidfs mounts. They are part of no mount namespace so neither check_mnt() nor is_mounted() would let them through and bind-mounting a nsfsfd or a pidfd wouldn't work.

Problem is that exception also admits a bind mount of such a file when it was lazily unmounted and is only kept alive by a file descriptor:

mount --bind /proc/self/ns/net /tmp/x exec 3< /tmp/x umount -l /tmp/x mount --rbind /proc/self/fd/3 /tmp/y

With MS_REC or AT_RECURSIVE copy_tree() doesn't stop at the unmounted mount. It copies every mount that stayed attached to it as well. So if you have a bunch of overmounts over the nsfsfd or the pidfd the whole unmounted stack is copied. That's a bug.

So refuse to walk an unmounted tree. Copying its root alone stays possible. So a bind mount of a namespace that is gone can still be recreated from a file descriptor on the old one. The file descriptor pins that mount and its root and __has_locked_children() only reads the direct children which don't leave the parent's list without namespace_sem. The internal mounts carry MNT_NS_INTERNAL instead of NULL and are still walked. Copying an unmounted tree recursively fails with EINVAL.

Text from CVE List

Affected versions 12

  • Linuxaffected: e149ed2b805fefdccf7ccdfc19eca22fdd4514ac before 86a2d56b1960720bf1844441c0890621e9db2f25CVE List
  • Linuxaffected: e149ed2b805fefdccf7ccdfc19eca22fdd4514ac before 7e037b1fd339d865737c8accd29abcf40130a5a0CVE List
  • Linuxaffected: e149ed2b805fefdccf7ccdfc19eca22fdd4514ac before b47b40c4f058418f9707454543179df240796aadCVE List
  • Linuxaffected: e149ed2b805fefdccf7ccdfc19eca22fdd4514ac before 8d3527457e183cedee3003c2897314da49488311CVE List
  • Linuxaffected: e149ed2b805fefdccf7ccdfc19eca22fdd4514ac before 8bacbf6be959973b28b691713a872c12eae69eecCVE List
  • Linuxaffected: 3.19CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: all versions before 3.19CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 6.6.160 through 6.6.*CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 6.12.113 through 6.12.*CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 6.18.57 through 6.18.*CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 7.2.11 through 7.2.*CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 7.3CVE List

References 5