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CVE-2026-98994

Linux: statmount: read the parent of an unmounted mount under mount_lock

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 in98fc6c7b6ca676157d2c780bd0a537b2c10fe08fFixed versionCVE List
Published23 Oct 2026Updated 23 Oct 2026CVE List

What fixes it

  • 98fc6c7b6ca676157d2c780bd0a537b2c10fe08fLinuxCVE 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:

statmount: read the parent of an unmounted mount under mount_lock

statmount_mnt_basic() reads the ids of the parent through m->mnt_parent with namespace_sem held for reading. That's fine for a mount that is in a namespace. Everything above it is pinned by that namespace.

STATMOUNT_BY_FD also accepts a file descriptor on a mount that has been unmounted on purpose and that only the file descriptor keeps alive. If that mount stayed attached to its parent when it was unmounted the parent is unmounted as well and nothing pins it for the child.

The final mntput() unmounts the children under mount_lock alone and frees the parent afterwards. Concurrently, statmount_mnt_basic() reads m->mnt_parent twice while that can happen and can easily dereference a mount that's already gone.

Read the parent of an unmounted mount under mount_lock. The parent can't be put while it is held and both ids come from the same mount. A mounted mount's parent is pinned by the namespace and a mount can't leave its namespace while namespace_sem is held, so the common case takes no global lock.

Text from CVE List

Affected versions 6

  • Linuxaffected: 0e5032237ee5530147fbdf33134297e1490d5ec3 before 98fc6c7b6ca676157d2c780bd0a537b2c10fe08fCVE List
  • Linuxaffected: 0e5032237ee5530147fbdf33134297e1490d5ec3 before bb46094057520304073130920c223451c2a694a7CVE List
  • Linuxaffected: 7.0CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: all versions before 7.0CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 7.2.11 through 7.2.*CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 7.3CVE List

References 2