# CVE-2026-46333: ptrace: slightly saner 'get_dumpable()' logic

> A flaw in Linux kernel ptrace logic allows bypassing capability restrictions, potentially enabling privilege escalation for attackers with root access.

- **Severity:** High 7.1 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N`)
- **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:** 15 May 2026
- **Updated:** 15 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-86888, AZL-86999, BELL-CVE-2026-46333, CLSA-2026-1779179460, CLSA-2026-1779180310, CLSA-2026-1779180837, CLSA-2026-1779181085, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-46333, GHSA-pm8f-4p6p-6x53, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-11-CVE-2026-46333, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2404-CVE-2026-46333, SUSE-RU-2026:21753-1, SUSE-RU-2026:21781-1, SUSE-RU-2026:21783-1, SUSE-RU-2026:21820-1, SUSE-SU-2026:21721-1, SUSE-SU-2026:21724-1, SUSE-SU-2026:21734-1, SUSE-SU-2026:21735-1, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-46333, openSUSE-RU-2026:20779-1, openSUSE-SU-2026:10825-1

## What is CVE-2026-46333?

CVE-2026-46333 is a high-severity vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 15 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:

ptrace: slightly saner 'get_dumpable()' logic

The 'dumpability' of a task is fundamentally about the memory image of
the task - the concept comes from whether it can core dump or not - and
makes no sense when you don't have an associated mm.

And almost all users do in fact use it only for the case where the task
has a mm pointer.

But we have one odd special case: ptrace_may_access() uses 'dumpable' to
check various other things entirely independently of the MM (typically
explicitly using flags like PTRACE_MODE_READ_FSCREDS).  Including for
threads that no longer have a VM (and maybe never did, like most kernel
threads).

It's not what this flag was designed for, but it is what it is.

The ptrace code does check that the uid/gid matches, so you do have to
be uid-0 to see kernel thread details, but this means that the
traditional "drop capabilities" model doesn't make any difference for
this all.

Make it all make a *bit* more sense by saying that if you don't have a
MM pointer, we'll use a cached "last dumpability" flag if the thread
ever had a MM (it will be zero for kernel threads since it is never
set), and require a proper CAP_SYS_PTRACE capability to override.

Weakness: CWE-269 (Improper Privilege Management)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-46333?

It affects 2 products.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `kernel-obs-build` | SUSE:Linux Micro Extras 6.2 | All versions | 6.12.0-160000.32.1 |
| `kernel-syms` | SUSE:Linux Micro Extras 6.2 | All versions | 6.12.0-160000.32.1 |
| `kernel-source` | openSUSE:Tumbleweed | All versions | 7.0.9-1.1 |

Products: Debian Debian Linux, Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-46333?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-46333 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-46333 exists.

Public exploit code:

- CVE-2026-46333 (github_poc): https://github.com/0xredash/CVE-2026-46333
- CHARON — pre-built PoC for CVE-2026-46333 (Linux ptrace mm==NULL fd theft) (github_poc): https://github.com/KaraZajac/CHARON
- Research on `pidfd_getfd(2)`-based file descriptor leakage from privileged SUID processes. Demonstrates race-condition FD capture against OpenSSH `ssh-keysign` and exposure of sensitive root-owned file handles. (github_poc): https://github.com/studiogangster/CVE-2026-46333
- Use CVE-2026-46333 and CVE-2026-31431 to change any user's password. (github_poc): https://github.com/st4rburn/public-passwd
- Linux Kernel __ptrace_may_access() Exit Race chage File Disclosure (metasploit)
- https://github.com/dr4mohamed/CVE-2026-46333 (github_poc): https://github.com/dr4mohamed/CVE-2026-46333

## Other vulnerabilities in Debian Debian Linux

- [CVE-2015-3306](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-3306/): ProFTPD Improper Access Control (critical 10.0, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-49113](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-49113/): RoundCube Webmail Deserialization of Untrusted Data (critical 9.9, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-24061](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-24061/): GNU InetUtils Argument Injection (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-39682](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-39682/): Linux Kernel Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-9680](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-9680/): Mozilla Firefox Use-After-Free (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-46333 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-46333 is a high-severity vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 15 May 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-46333 exists.

Affected product: Debian Debian Linux. 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-2026-46333/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-46333/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-46333
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-46333
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-46333

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-46333/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.