CVE-2026-89707

nfsd: release path refs on follow_down() error

HIGH
7.5
CVSS Score
Published: September 11, 2026 at 07:46 PM UTC
Updated: October 19, 2026 at 09:18 AM UTC
1 product affected across 1 vendorLinux Kernel

Using Linux by Linux?

Get instant alerts when new vulnerabilities affect Linux - before attackers find them.

Real-time alertsTrack your software stackFree plan available
Severity
HIGH7.5
Exploit prediction
EPSS 0.6%
SSVC
No known exploit

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: nfsd: release path refs on follow_down() error nfsd_cross_mnt() initializes a local struct path with mntget() and dget() before calling follow_down(). On a negative return the error arm jumps to out without releasing those references: err = follow_down(&path, follow_flags); if (err < 0) goto out; follow_down() never drops the caller's entry-time refs on any error sub-case; for example a pre-cross d_manage() failure leaves path untouched, so the mntget()/dget() taken on entry survive the call. Every other early-exit arm in nfsd_cross_mnt() (other-namespace return, IS_ERR(exp2), and the success tail after the swap) already calls path_put(&path); the err < 0 arm is the lone omission. The leak inflates mnt_count and d_count on each failed cross-mount, blocking umount and pinning dentries against the shrinker, and is reachable by any authenticated NFS client through nfsd_lookup_dentry or the NFSv4 READDIR encode path. Fix by calling path_put(&path) before the goto out in the err < 0 arm so the entry-time refs are released on all follow_down() error returns.

Affected

Our own answer: ranges merged, affected separated from platform-only, with confidence and review flags.

2.6.38cc53ce53c86924bfe98a12ea20b7465038a08792
Vendor states this is fixed in 085cfde7c2186acaad103f02d2c25435ad5224e9 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 194316df81263519156ebe714c4a286bee00e5be (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 2bc4343308d85ee4e0dd3877b384306c96f114c2 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 467d56fd3ff57447a790c6dc3ede2d02a947d224 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6cba08dc1922140d260cfeb30bbda4ee1bf869d8 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 2.6.38 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.12.109 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.18.50 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.6.157 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 7.2.4 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 7.3 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 7.3-rc1 (unaffected)

Remediation

No guide yet

No remediation guidance has been written for this CVE yet, and no fixed version or vendor advisory is recorded against it.

SSVC — Action Prioritization

SSVCNo known exploitAutomatablePartial impact

SSVC signals action urgency (what to patch first), separate from CVSS which measures severity.

CVSS

7.5HIGHLinux
Vector?

Quick Info

StatusRECEIVED

Get alerted

Stop reading CVE feeds looking for your own stack

Track the products you run and VulnTracker tells you when a new CVE affects them — with what is known about fixing it, and nothing about the rest.

Free plan, no card