CVE-2026-68448: ovl: check access to copy_file_range source with src mounter creds
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
ovl: check access to copyfilerange source with src mounter creds
Commit 5dae222a5ff0c ("vfs: allow copyfilerange to copy across devices") allowed filesystems that implement the copyfilerange() fop to decide if they want to access cross-sb copy from/to the same fs type.
The same commit added checks to verify same sb copy for filesystems that implement ->copyfilerange() and do not support cross-sb copy at the time, namely, to ceph, fuse and nfs.
The two remaining fs which implement ->copyfilerange(), cifs and overlayfs started to support cross-sb copy from this time.
While overlayfs does support cross-sb copy when the two underlying files are on the same base fs, the copy operation on the two real files from two different overalyfs filesystems is performed with the mounter creds of the destination overlayfs and the read permission access hook for the source file was called with the wrong creds.
This could cause either deny of access to copy which would otherwise be allowed (e.g. with splice) or allow read access to file which would otherwise be denied.
Fix the latter case by explicitly verifying read access to source file with the source overlayfs mounter creds.
The former case remains a quirk of cross-sb overlayfs copy, but userspace could fall back to regular copy so no harm done.
Affected Software
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2026-68448?
CVE-2026-68448 has been assessed with a risk score of 37.
How does CVE-2026-68448 affect the Linux kernel?
CVE-2026-68448 allows filesystems to improperly check access permissions when using the copy_file_range() function.
What versions of the Linux kernel are affected by CVE-2026-68448?
The specific affected versions are not noted in the provided details, but generally, ensure your Linux kernel is updated to resolve this issue.
How do I fix CVE-2026-68448?
The best mitigation for CVE-2026-68448 is to update your Linux kernel to a version that includes the fix.
What is the impact of exploiting CVE-2026-68448?
Exploitation of CVE-2026-68448 could allow unauthorized access to data during the copy_file_range operation.