# CVE-2026-45960: hfsplus: return error when node already exists in hfs_bnode_create

> A reference count inconsistency in the HFS+ filesystem driver can cause a kernel panic, leading to denial of service.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 27 May 2026
- **Updated:** 27 May 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2026-45960, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-45960, GHSA-3j7g-p6x3-6qqj, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-11-CVE-2026-45960, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2204-CVE-2026-45960, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2404-CVE-2026-45960, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-45960

## What is CVE-2026-45960?

CVE-2026-45960 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 27 May 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

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

hfsplus: return error when node already exists in hfs_bnode_create

When hfs_bnode_create() finds that a node is already hashed (which should
not happen in normal operation), it currently returns the existing node
without incrementing its reference count. This causes a reference count
inconsistency that leads to a kernel panic when the node is later freed
in hfs_bnode_put():

    kernel BUG at fs/hfsplus/bnode.c:676!
    BUG_ON(!atomic_read(&node->refcnt))

This scenario can occur when hfs_bmap_alloc() attempts to allocate a node
that is already in use (e.g., when node 0's bitmap bit is incorrectly
unset), or due to filesystem corruption.

Returning an existing node from a create path is not normal operation.

Fix this by returning ERR_PTR(-EEXIST) instead of the node when it's
already hashed. This properly signals the error condition to callers,
which already check for IS_ERR() return values.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-45960?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-45960?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-45960 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-45960 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel

- [CVE-2026-53266](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53266/): Linux Kernel Out-of-Bounds Write (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-6282](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-6282/): Linux Kernel Improper Input Validation (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2022-0185](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0185/): Linux Kernel Heap-Based Buffer Overflow (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-2094](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-2094/): Linux Kernel Privilege Escalation (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-53362](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53362/): Linux Kernel Unspecified (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-45960 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-45960 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 27 May 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-45960 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux kernel. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-45960/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-45960/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-45960
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-45960
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-45960

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-45960/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.