CVE-2026-23189: ceph: fix NULL pointer dereference in ceph_mds_auth_match()

Published Feb 14, 2026
·
Updated

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

ceph: fix NULL pointer dereference in cephmdsauthmatch()

The CephFS kernel client has regression starting from 6.18-rc1. We have issue in cephmdsauthmatch() if fsname == NULL:

const char fsname = mdsc->fsc->mountoptions->mdsnamespace; ... if (auth->match.fsname && strcmp(auth->match.fsname, fsname)) { / fsname mismatch, try next one / return 0; }

Patrick Donnelly suggested that: In summary, we should definitely start decoding fsname from the MDSMap and do strict authorizations checks against it. Note that the -o mdsnamespace=foo should only be used for selecting the file system to mount and nothing else. It's possible no mdsnamespace is specified but the kernel will mount the only file system that exists which may have name "foo".

This patch reworks cephmdsmapdecode() and namespaceequals() with the goal of supporting the suggested concept. Now struct cephmdsmap contains mfsname field that receives copy of extracted FS name by cephextractencodedstring(). For the case of "old" CephFS file systems, it is used "cephfs" name.

[ idryomov: replace redundant %pE with %s in cephmdsmapdecode(), get rid of a series of strlen() calls in cephnamespacematch(), drop changes to namespaceequals() body to avoid treating empty mdsnamespace as equal, drop changes to cephmdschandlefsmap() as namespaceequals() isn't an equivalent substitution there ]

Affected Software

12 affected componentsFixes available
Linux Linux kernel>6.18-rc1
Linux Linux kernel>=6.12.58<6.12.70
Linux Linux kernel>=6.17.8<6.18.10
Linux Linux kernel=6.19-rc1
Linux Linux kernel=6.19-rc2
Linux Linux kernel=6.19-rc3
Linux Linux kernel=6.19-rc4
Linux Linux kernel=6.19-rc5
Linux Linux kernel=6.19-rc6
Linux Linux kernel=6.19-rc7
Linux Linux kernel=6.19-rc8
debian/linux
6.1.176-16.1.190-16.12.107-16.12.115-27.2.12-17.2.15-1

Remediation

Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.

  1. Upgrade

    Upgrade debian/linux to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 6.1.176-1Fixed in 6.1.190-1Fixed in 6.12.107-1Fixed in 6.12.113-1Fixed in 7.2.12-1Fixed in 7.2.13-1

Event History

Feb 14, 2026
CVE Published
via MITRE·04:27 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·04:27 PM
Description
Data Sourced
via NVD·05:15 PM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software

Parent advisories

This vulnerability appears in the following advisories.

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2026-23189?

CVE-2026-23189 has been classified with a moderate severity level.

2

How do I fix CVE-2026-23189?

To fix CVE-2026-23189, update the Linux kernel to the latest version that addresses this vulnerability.

3

What are the potential consequences of CVE-2026-23189?

The consequences of CVE-2026-23189 include potential system crashes due to a NULL pointer dereference.

4

Which versions of the Linux kernel are affected by CVE-2026-23189?

CVE-2026-23189 affects the Linux kernel starting from version 6.18-rc1.

5

What component is involved in CVE-2026-23189?

CVE-2026-23189 involves a vulnerability in the CephFS kernel client specifically within the ceph_mds_auth_match() function.

Contact

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