CVE-2026-98979: namespace: refuse an automount below a mount that is in no namespace
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
namespace: refuse an automount below a mount that is in no namespace
It's possible to add autmounts even when the parent mount isn't in the mount namespace of the caller. The only requirement we have is that the parent mount namespace must not be NULL, i.e., unmounted.
Problem is that cloneprivatemount() has MNTNSINTERNAL which makes that trivially true. So that passes the test and attachrecursivemnt() accepts that as a mount point and funny enough, countmounts() dereferences MNTNSINTERNAL. The problem is it is an error pointer...
So we can reach this in userspace via fanotify. A filesystem mark on the lower filesystem of an overlay reports paths on the layer clone and reading the event hands out a descriptor on it. For example with debugfs as the lower layer it goes kaboom:
openat(evfd, "tracing", ODIRECTORY)
Oops: general protection fault KASAN: null-ptr-deref in range [0x1d0-0x1d7] RIP: 0010:countmounts+0x35/0x200 attachrecursivemnt finishautomount
And since that sleeping beauty happens under namespacesem held for writing every mount operation on the system blocks from then on. Congrats.
Use ismounted() instead which rejects unmounted and internal mounts alike. The open fails with EINVAL just as it did before cloneprivatemount() used MNTNSINTERNAL.
Affected Software
Remediation
Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.
- Upgrade
Upgrade
debian/linuxto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.12.113-1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
debian/linuxto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.2.11-1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
linux/Kernelto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.10.273 - Upgrade
Upgrade
linux/Kernelto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.224 - Upgrade
Upgrade
linux/Kernelto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.1.191 - Upgrade
Upgrade
linux/Kernelto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.6.160 - Upgrade
Upgrade
linux/Kernelto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.12.113 - Upgrade
Upgrade
linux/Kernelto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.18.57 - Upgrade
Upgrade
linux/Kernelto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.2.11 - Upgrade
Upgrade
debian/linuxto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.12.115-2Fixed in 7.2.12-1Fixed in 7.2.15-1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
azurelinux/kernelto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.6.161.1-1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-aws-6.8to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1069.74~22.04.1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-azure-6.8to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1073.82~22.04.1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-azure-fde-6.8to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1071.78~22.04.1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-gcp-6.8to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1073.81~22.04.1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-ibm-6.8to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1069.70~22.04.1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.8to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-149.149.1~22.04.1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-oracle-6.8to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1067.71~22.04.1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-riscv-6.8to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-149.149~22.04.2 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-realtime-6.8to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.1-1064.65~22.04.1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linuxto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-149.149 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-awsto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1069.74 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-aws-7.0to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1017.18~24.04.1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-azureto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1073.82 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-azure-fdeto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1071.78 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-azure-fde-7.0to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1019.19~24.04.1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-gcpto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1073.81 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-gcp-7.0to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1017.19~24.04.1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-gketo a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1068.77 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-gkeopto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1053.57 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-ibmto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1069.70 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-lowlatencyto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-149.149.1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-nvidiato a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1067.70 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-nvidia-lowlatencyto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1067.70.1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-oracleto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1067.71 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-oracle-7.0to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1016.18~24.04.1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-raspito a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1068.72 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-riscv-7.0to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-43.43.1~24.04.2 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-vmwareto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1010.10 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-bluefieldto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1036.41 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-raspi-realtimeto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-2056.58 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-realtimeto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.1-1064.65 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-aws-fipsto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1069.74+fips1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-azure-fipsto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1073.82+fips1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-gcp-fipsto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1073.81+fips1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linuxto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.3.0-10.10 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-awsto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.3.0-1004.4 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-azureto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.3.0-1004.4 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-azure-fdeto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.3.0-1004.5 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-gcpto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.3.0-1004.4 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-oracleto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.3.0-1004.4 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-raspito a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.3.0-1004.4 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-realtimeto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.3.0-10.10.1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-riscvto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.3.0-10.10.1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linuxto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-43.43 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-awsto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1017.18 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-azureto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1020.21 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-azure-fdeto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1019.19 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-gcpto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1017.19 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-gketo a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1010.11 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-ibmto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1018.18 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-oem-7.0to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1018.18 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-oracleto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1016.18 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-raspito a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1023.23 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-realtimeto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-43.43.1
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What conditions are needed to reach the fault from userspace?
The issue can be reached through fanotify when a filesystem mark is placed on the lower filesystem of an overlay. An event can report a path on the layer clone, and reading that event provides a descriptor on the clone.
What happens after the vulnerable path is triggered?
An automount operation can reach count_mounts() with MNT_NS_INTERNAL treated as a mount namespace, causing a null-pointer dereference/general protection fault. Because this occurs while namespace_sem is held for writing, mount operations across the system can block afterward.
Is a particular filesystem involved in the reported reproduction?
The described example uses debugfs as the overlay lower layer and attempts to open its tracing directory through the event descriptor. The underlying condition is described in terms of a filesystem mark on an overlay lower filesystem, not as limited to debugfs.